Tears and Tiaras
I didn’t realize that taking my high school guidance counselor’s advice would lead to one of my biggest embarrassments. In the fall of senior year, he suggested I broaden participation…
Courage At 0.5 MPH
Courage at 0.5 MPH I’m a retired physician and empty nester. Basically, a woman with degrees, hot flashes, and a deep commitment to self-deprecation. Wanting to write essays about life’s…
Finders Keepers
My childhood home was a one-story, white-shingled farmhouse nestled in the middle of corn and soybean fields. Typical of homes built in the early 1900s, it was long on charm…
Lemonade and Pearls
One long summer day, a string of fake pearls turned into a lesson on kindness. My dad was a fair, practical man, with a great sense of humor and a…
Good, Better, Perfect
As a life-long perfectionist, anything less than 100 percent never felt good enough. Tutorials on perfection came early in my life. One afternoon when I was in fifth grade, I…
Imposter for the Win
I had never felt like a bigger fake — winning a karate tournament without landing a punch. Three years before, as an on-call physician making hospital calls after midnight, I…
Holding onto Hope
When your sight is in peril and your spirit needs a lifeline, where do you find hope? I entered the exam room for my second cancer surgery. There was concern…
After the Rain
When did I age out of having dreams? I’m not sure the exact time or place, but I know what it looked like. After the melanoma diagnosis, my calendar had…
Pits and Grit
As much as you love your mother — and she loves you — coming together in tight quarters requires patience and understanding. Despite the stress, if you look for it,…
Tangled Up In Blues
Still warm from sleep, I fluffed the pillows and made the bed, reassured by the aroma of fresh, black coffee. My husband and I were leaving for New York where…
Wonder in Flight
Wonder arrived on striped yellow wings just when I needed it. After weeks of tests, I finally underwent my first surgery for melanoma. It was followed by more waiting, which…
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Holding onto Hope
When your sight is in peril and your spirit needs a lifeline, where do you find hope? I entered the exam room for my second cancer surgery. There was concern that the melanoma had spread to my eyelid. The planned procedure involved multiple steps each day. And would involve several days. Tissue would be removed by the surgeon, stained, and examined by the pathologist next day. If melanoma was still present, the entire process would be repeated. My wound would be left open until the pathologist reported no trace of melanoma — or I ran out of skin. I was to be awake for this procedure. Staff quickly readied the…
