Good things, bad things

It's that time of year in my life as a second year med student - studying for step 1 (DUM, DUM, DUM!). I am officially half way through and scared to death that I'm going to fail or bomb it. I have been feeling rather whiney lately (surprise, surprise). Then, today at church I had a reality check.

Our head pastor and his wife were in a horrible wreck the Saturday before Palm Sunday. They were both badly injured. Today was his first day back preaching. He was standing in the pulpit wearing a neck brace. His wife has yet to come back to church (her recovery has been slow due to the severity of her injuries). He stood up there and described what happened. He was napping as they were driving back from seeing family just a few hours north of Mobile. His wife was driving down I-65. The next thing he knows, he's awakened by his wife saying, "Oh God, I have just run off the road." From other accounts, they have figured out that they flipped 5 times before coming to a halt upside down about 5 miles outside of Greenville. He only remembers bits of what happened b/c he lost consciousness. But at one point, they woke him up in the ambulance and told him to say goodbye to his wife and tell her that he loved her b/c she was being air lifted to Mobile.

He went on to say that it's been really hard and to thank those that have been so kind and talked to him the couple of Sundays that he came to church (without his wife) to just participate in the services. He said that it's really hard to go through something like this and then come home. (He and his wife have been staying with their daughter, son-in-law, and new grandbaby.) I can't imagine what it's been like for their family. All I have to say is that it's a miracle that they're both alive (considering the crash and injuries). You know, for someone to just be celebrating a new baby in the family and then be struck by tragedy is just awful. However, he (and his family) have been able to get through it - with the help of many, I'm sure. I guess it just goes to show you that no matter how miserable you are or how hard things get, God sends people and messages for you. Whether they're messages of love or a reality check, He's got it covered.

Another thing that our pastor said today - bad things happen quickly. It's the good things that take a while - like finishing school or building a life with someone. I just thought that was very true. You never see the bad things coming. They just hit and move on - like the damage in T-town due to the tornadoes or a car wreck that changes your life. But, good things - like recovery and the help of friends - those take time. Just as healing.

Mawaige is what bwings us together today

I think it's comforting sometimes to realize that you are not alone in your problems. I find myself and many others contemplating the same thing lately - marriage. I think that it's really hard growing up in the South, where my aunt was married by age 16 and my mother and sister by age 24. Most of my friends are wondering when and how they are supposed to meet someone when:

1. The only people that we see are the same people everyday - classmates & attendings
2. The prospects are grim - classmates.

Strangely, this is not just the females. I've heard some of the guys mention it as well (which usually makes me laugh). I just wonder how people so driven to get where they are can suddenly be so worried about finding a significant other. I just feel like we all have this fear that we'll end up alone. While I don't believe that is the case for any of us, I really think that in weak moments where we are exhausted, sleep-deprived, and/or hungry (Do not underestimate the power of hunger.), we give into the fear.

I know that we all need a partner to venture through life with us, but I think my little sis said it best recently (while we were talking about marriage). She said that she's been reading a book, Lady in Waiting, and it said that women typically think that marriage will make them complete, when it will not. I think that this is always the case - we constantly say to ourselves and others, "If I can just get ___, then I'll be okay." That could be married, have children, finish med school, ect. However, I think that we need to find confidence in God that he will lead us down the path that he has set out for us.

The "just for fun" league

Games are not "just for fun" when medical students are involved. We happen to play a lot of catch phrase at the cozy cottage, which usually results in a least 2 or 3 people arguing about rules and cheating. There is also a lot of laughing. However, we are all so darn competitive. This also bleeds over into every game we play. We have a coed team for volleyball in the "just for fun" league. I told them not to include me if they were to competitive because I am honestly not very good at volleyball. They said that they really weren't.

Last night was intense. In volleyball intramurals, you play best out of 5, which means that it's usually over after 3 games. However, we lost the 1st 2 games last night. Midway through game 3 when we were ahead, one guy on our team was sitting out talking about what we needed to win. I immediately got nervous. That meant that they would expect me not to catch the ball AND hit it over the net. Then, we won games 3 &4. I made it through without catching the ball. However, I did hit the ball out on a few occasions. Even though I did really well for me, I still felt bad about losing and apologized constantly. In the 5th and final game, the entire room was silent before each serve and a thunder storm roared in the background. No joke. It was intense! We ended up losing by 2 points. It was so sad. How did something fun get so intense? I really think that there really isn't a "just for fun" league when med students are involved. I guess I'm no exception.

Family portrait, shmortrait

I can't resist posting a few pics from our family vacation, especially since we have our first true family portrait since I don't know when... Maybe Ellen's wedding. So, 3 years ago. No one else is getting married any time soon, so we took matters into our own hands.

I like pics where we're all laughing. I think it's more real life.

However, if you ever meet anyone in my family, this will be a familiar sight.

This pose was the brainchild of Ellen and me. My mother was very dismayed. Mike resisted the temptation to join. I don't see why.

Well, I hope that you have enjoyed our silliness. On to study some neuro, since I avoided it like the plague during spring break. Boo.

Spring Break

Well, we all survived another family road trip of 12 hours. Mama Jean even seemed to manage okay. Mom has finally recovered after almost 2 days after getting back. It was really good to see Ellen, Mike, and Maddison. Maddy was such a good dog! We walked and played, and she's a cuddler. It was nice to have everyone together again.

In other news, I have an infected toe. Beware of pedicurists that push back your cuticles! I little strange but true. I just saw a podiatrist in the ham, and he broke the news. Nothing too bad - I'll just have to apply some Neosporin and a bandaid. It's kind of nice when you think that you're crazy b/c you think your toe is swollen. However, my craziness was just proven not to be so crazy at all. Who knew? (I'm guessing this is a one time thing.)

I really do miss the ham, but I am afraid that I must leave to go back to Mobtown to study. Boo. Neuro is not a very forgiving course, and I refuse to screw it up this time. Hopefully, Chad will whip my butt into shape. Well, onward and forward - studying, lunch with some friends, and then packing to go back to Mobtown. I can't wait for June 5th!

5 people, 1 car

Here we go. Family road trip 2011. Be afraid. Mama Jean (my grandmother) is joining us for the trip. I have given up facebook, and I think there's a good possibility that I might leave something important behind - like my phone charger or socks. This could get interesting. 12 hours in the van to Richmond. 3 days with Ellen (older sis) & Mike. Then, 12 hours back. Mom has a virus with superimposed strep throat. Wish me luck.

Since my last post:

1. I am officially 25, which means that I am a quarter of a century (not half of a century as my mom suggested). No worries. She figured out that it was she who was half a century.
2. I do not really freak out about exams. (I haven't figured out if this is a positive or negative feature.)
3. I have stopped being a baking machine. Although, I still bake from time to time. (Luke informed me that I was going to give him diabetes.)
4. It has been a month since my last trip to T-town. Excellent occasion - Kim's goodbye to her roaring 20s. Hopefully, I will make another trip soon to see a baseball game.
5. My grandmother has finally agreed to go on a road trip with the fam. (We will see what disasters may occur.)
6. My lil' sis has taken one part of the CPA exam - only 4 more to go.
7. My older sis has a job and a house with her new hubby and puppy. (This is where our family road trip will take us for spring break.)
8. Baseball season has begun! (I kicked it off with a viewing of The Rookie - excellent movie.)
9. I rearranged my room. No one else can tell but me, but I still like it.
10. I miss making lists, so I though that I would revive this practice. :)