I never would’ve expected that getting sick would save my life. But it very possibly did.
Five years ago, during my first semester in a new grad program, I got sick. I couldn’t eat anything without getting horribly sick to my stomach. After frustratingly normal test results and a month of surviving on applesauce (and losing nearly ten pounds), a gastroenterologist finally prescribed an antibiotic as a shot in the dark. Thank God it worked. (more…)
You know what it’s like—the first day at a new job. The nervous excitement, the warm thrill of opportunity. You start to imagine what could be. Everything is new and fresh and full of potential. That is the magic of first days.
Recently, there was a young woman not so far from me who started her first day in a high pressure job. She chose a job that allowed her to help other people. And she started that job no doubt full of dedication, eager to serve.
But her first day was the last day of her life. (more…)
Ah, Christmas, the season of joy and warmth, of gifts and traditions and family. It’s a heartwarming time of year.
But not for everyone.
For some, this time of year brings extra pain, the reminder of lost loved ones. This season, I find myself thinking of them, of the hundreds of families in France and Kenya and Nigeria, and elsewhere around the world, whose loved ones stolen away by hatred, leaving an achingly empty seat at the table. (more…)