On Family

I work Saturdays and Sundays. This weekend, I missed birthday parties for a good friend and my cousin. Last month, I got to go to my church twice. I see my parents once every 1-2 months. Certainly, work can really take a toll and make you wonder if it is really worth the sacrifice.

Over the past two weeks, I have realized how much Kosair Children's Hospital and its members have become my family. They are the people I see every day. When I am on vacation or start a new rotation, they miss me. When I get a haircut, everyone from the maintenance department to the unit secretaries to the attendings notice. When returning from Boulder last week, I got on the elevator with a normally smug surgeon. "Nice haircut," he muttered.

I enjoyed a big Thanksgiving dinner with some buddies from my program two weeks ago. The next night, we went to "Harry Potter" together. I am able to connect with my resident friends in a unique way, where our humor, frustrations, and experiences make sense. These are friends - er, family - for the road; these are the people that become my family for this period.

My community group from my church are also my family. They support and encourage me in ways that no one else can. They are my spiritual mentors, accountability partners, and friends.

Being a resident is sometimes really hard and really lonely and sometimes I am tempted to merge onto I-65 N toward Indianapolis just to be with my Indy family and friends. Certainly, they are irreplaceable. However, after a year-and-a-half, I am grateful that I can say that I have truly found great family in Louisville.