2010 proved to be a remarkable year for me. I’ve transformed from a former struggling medical student (constantly questioning my career choice with each brutal beating from complicated exams, all-nighters, and Attendings pimping me to the point of ridicule) into a now PGY-3 (Postgraduate year) making medical decisions on my own and witnessing the positive impact I can have on patients’ lives. And, after 1.5 years of living here, I can admit that Oregon is truly growing on me (which I never thought I’d say, but who wouldn’t appreciate smog-free skies, environmental-friendliness, genuinely friendly people, traffic-free roads, abundant green landscapes, etc). I’m thankful for the lessons learned in 2010 and can’t wait for the experiences to come in 2011. One and a half years of residency left to go!
December 2010
{Pomegranates growing in my parents’ backyard}
This year marked the first Thanksgiving spent in my family’s new house, which I feared might be a sad experience since I knew how much my family loved our previous home. As soon as I walked through the door, I immediately felt a sense of comfort walking into a wide, gorgeous space that had astonishing similarities to our last home. Even more comforting was seeing my entire family together smiling and laughing with no visible signs of the overwhelming stress that took place just weeks before the holiday. Yet, what struck me the most about this house was discovering a pomegranate tree in the backyard. At that moment, I immediately recalled fond childhood memories of picking and eating pomegranates from the tree my grandfather planted in my parents’ first home. It’s one of the fruit trees my grandfather meticulously cared for, and to me, represents regeneration, strength, and growth. Not only did I feel thankful for spending a momentous weekend with family, but also for being reminded of my grandfather watching over us.