Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Transitions

How does fall just show up, so scheduled, yet always such a pleasant surprise? Every year I forget that it's coming. Maybe I just try to hang on to those precious summer days a little longer. Yet that day in October when the crisp air hits my face for the first time, it's always unexpected. In the immortal words of Tom Hanks, "it makes me want to buy school supplies" (You've Got Mail). Fall, as does its peppy cousin Spring, reminds me about transitions in life. That nothing stays the same for long, that we may enjoy this brief snippet of time for now. We can think that it will last forever. But soon we will be moving into something new. Summer and Winter seem to exist in this perpetual time warp, unchanging for weeks on end, until Fall and Spring make their quiet, spectacular entry.

As quickly as it comes, Fall dissipates into the dry, cold Winter. That's depressing. This gorgeous transition lasts only a few weeks at best. It's God's subtle reminder that change, while always abrupt, never lasts long, and will eventually settle into something cozy and familiar again. I guess it makes unwanted endings and scary, new beginnings a little easier to face.

All this got me thinking about friends. Old, new, those friendships just beginning, and those that are moving on. This is an interesting year for me. The majority of the friends that I started residency with are moving to the next phase of their lives after graduating from their 3-year programs. And here I am, still with a year left to go. Even friends from my past lives are starting new jobs, moving to new cities, buying houses, having babies. And here I am, hidden under the umbrella of residency, still in my same season, seemingly in perpetuity.

But I think this is actually just my Summer, where the days are warm, nurturing and endless. My Fall will make it's appearance soon; the Leaves are already changing. In January I will stop accepting new patients in my clinic. This Christmas will be the last in our house here, and this December the last season of residency holiday parties. My last on-call weekends in the newborn nursery and PICU are coming up soon, while my final Critical Care and PICU call nights are looming in the spring.

I guess for now I will treasure the changing colors, the brisk new winds, and pack up my summer clothes.

2 comments:

  1. The one thing that is certain is that we may never know what is coming, but we will never again have what we've got. So cherish each day; you guys have lots of changes in your future!! I sooo crave consistency right now...Enjoy it!!!

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  2. You know...if this medicine thing doesn't work out...you could always try your hand at writing! You write beautifully:) Not me so much, I will stick to the ICU! Hope things are going well.

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