Neurosurgeon, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Blogger

Sometimes, the many personas in which we function need to stand up and be counted simultaneously! Such it has been for me this week. In the space of just 7 short days, I packed up my office (I am moving from small partnership to multispecialty group), visited my parents (they would cringe if I described them in anyway as older but they are 76 and 72) and two sisters for the first time in many moons, spent a long day with my sophomore daughter at her college, and driven back to begin a weeks vacation with my husband of nearly 23 years.
Now as for blogger-I don't actually yet allow myself to carry that title but I am hopeful. I started this blog as an offshoot of the book, Heart of a Lion, Hands of Woman: What Women Neurosurgeons Do without a really good concept of what it all meant. I initially hoped that it would provide a forum for continued musings about the content, reader feedback on the book, etc. Slowly, slowly, slowly (I am 50 now and while not adverse to new technology by any means, I don't "get it" as quickly as in earlier years) I am realizing my role as blogger-and for that I give thanks to a colleague I met exclusively through a professional social network site who opened my eyes (thanks).

Some thoughts from my schizophrenic week:

• I will miss my loyal staff, especially those that followed me through many phases of my growing career. I know I could not accomplish what I have professionally without their expertise and support.
• It is far better to create time with my parents outside the "family gatherings" and I need to make sure I do it regularly, they do not defy the rule that with life comes age.
• Ditto for siblings-maybe even more so.
• It is a great challenge to morph your parental relationship into a mutual adult relationship with your maturing daughter-but clearly worth all the effort it takes!
• I still love my husband dearly and amaze at his ability to make be smile with a few insightful words.
• Blogging-a new world, not the first brave leap I have taken, part of my drive to never be standing still.