The Urban Resident Local Doc on the Block

8

Grace!

I grew up with a mother who never took a gift… just half of an exchange.  I remember watching, with horrified amusement, a lady try to give my mom a bag of mangoes.  My mom chased her down and literally threw the bag into the open window of the car...

2

Justice?

One class I had to take as a medical student was called “Sex Week” and consisted of three days of intensive exposure to human sexuality. While there were many, many things that we discussed and debated, one experience that stood out was a panel given by rape survivors. One of...

0

Abba

She wouldn’t stop crying, so I picked her up before realizing that the diaper was wet.  The sun was setting and the room was dim and quiet, disturbed only by the peripheral noises of the hospital hallway and the sound of her distress.  I gingerly held her up, setting her...

1

Trustworthy Friendship

“A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us, in spite of our faults: who will speak the honest truth to us, while the...

3

Pathologic

Recently I have come to the conclusion that the best word with which to describe this world is this: pathologic. For most of my life I have lived under the impression that the world is somehow supposed to make more sense as time passes and experience teaches me the true...

2

The Sounds of Joy

It is with a certain and indescribable heaviness of heart that I write this entry today.  Never has my soul felt as wooden or as unrevivable as it does now, for never have I had to let go of a friend.  I have been blessed with many great friendships in...

0

A Reflection on the Anatomy Lab

Originally delivered March 1, 2007 at the Anatomy Lab Memorial Service. In preparing for this reflection, there were many sensations that came to mind: the dryness of dread in my mouth on that first day of lab, the sharp snap of latex gloves, the lingering smell of disinfectant on my...