Perspective

I could live a pretty comfortable lifestyle without really applying myself. Whenever I'm tempted to do so I remember that 2 billion people live on less than $2 a day, and that the other 3 billion people in the world need to do something about it.

Submitted by: Anonymous

Strong Women

There are so many women in my life that inspire me. But I'll tell you about two.

The first is my mother. My mother has had some pretty severe medical set backs over the last few years: cancer, a broken ankle, diabetes and kidney failure. She's not always in a good mood. Most days she's tired and feels like crap. But no matter how bad she's feeling, she hardly ever complains and none of these issues have stopped her from living her life. She travels, she goes to Curves, she takes a dance class, she lunches w/her girlfriends and she SHOPS! Whenever I'm feeling sorry for myself, or I think I'm tired, I think about my mother and how she's feeling and I get off my Ass!

The second is my grandmother. My grandmother is 95 years old. She's raised 5 children, 6 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. She can see better than I can. She gets up and gets dressed every day. She's always up on current events. She stopped walking a few years ago, "because her feet hurt". The other day my mother asked her how she was feeling. She said "Fine." My aunt said, "You're not fine. You weren't feeling good this morning." She looked at my mother and said, "I didn't want to make you sad."

Lesson Learned: I come from a long line of strong women and I have a responsibility to uphold the legacy that they have set for me. But trust me, it ain't easy!

Submitted by: Nicole

Four is Enough

I’ve been thinking about having kids lately - particularly, whether I want 1 or 4. Maybe it’s because our class just finished four weeks of OBGYN lectures and I watched “Miracle of Life” for my fourth time. Or maybe it’s because I did my first pelvic exam last week and I’m excited for my rotation in August where I’ll be working with a midwife. Whatever the trigger, I’m definitely having a case of baby fever.

Yesterday at church, there was a couple sitting in front of us with their 2 year old son. When we were sitting, he was standing and jumping. At silent moments, he would vocally point at his book of trucks. I tried my hardest not to encourage his misbehavior, but I couldn’t help looking at him and then doing what I do with all babies that make eye contact with me – flare my nostrils. Even though I found him amusing, he was a misery for his parents, and more so, for the priest who was trying to conduct the service.

So that brings me back to the issue of having 1 child or a Brady bunch. I can’t imagine the energy it will take to raise just one child: what to do when he/she misbehaves in public, how to deal with sleepless nights, and for someone who cleans obsessively, the amount of laundry and hygiene it will take to keep the child drool-free. Then I think about my grandmother, who birthed and raised 12 children. If she can do it with the grace and fortitude that my mother and uncles tell me, then so can I. Now, that’s my inspiration for having 4 children.

Submitted by: Cristina

Salute

While I was in grad school I had the fortune of meeting some really amazing people that had done some really amazing things in their lives. One in particular was a classmate of mine who was a graduate of West Point and a two-tour veteran of the war in Iraq. After serving his country faithfully for 5 years, he was looking forward to attending business school and starting the next phase of his life as a civilian. Then, the unimaginable happened. After enjoying a wonderful first year in school he got a letter from the US government: his services were needed, and he would be forced to drop everything and return for a 3rd tour in Iraq. We all were devestated.

After much shock, sadness and anger, he accepted his fate and returned to boot camp unaware of what his future might hold. I prayed for his safety, but honestly I wondered if I would ever see him again. Then, the unimaginable happened AGAIN. During a routine physical exam before his deployment, a number of tumors were found. Thankfully they all were benign. Thankfully the surgery to remove them would be routine. And thankfully this surgery made his pending re-deployment null and void.

I'm happy to say that my classmate graduated this past year. I'm also happy to say that his lesson of selflessness made every dollar of my tuition worth every penny.

Lesson learned: I'm thankful for the unimaginable.....it reminds me just how big to laugh when someone says, "No you can't."