Heart of a Lion, Hands of a Woman: What Women Neurosurgeons Do
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Friday, January 29, 2010

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.