Gratitude is on most of our minds as we exit this past Thanksgiving week. For sure, there is a lot to be unhappy about— rising COVID rates nationwide, the continued inability to travel, missing our families during the holidays. I was surprised, though, at how many people chose to focus on the positive: cooking for two, for example, or having a travel stress-free staycation. I don’t want this experience to be at all the new normal, but I do think that this will pave the way for those who want stress-free holidays in the future. Look at my two cats (above). Who could stress after seeing those faces?
I, for one, had a few days when I was truly not on-call, and while I couldn’t go anywhere (both Michigan and Canada are forbidden), I had a few days to truly unwind. I reconnected with running and my yoga practice, both of which completely fell to the wayside in the post-first pandemic wave of surgery patients (which has gone on for a full six months). I couldn’t go anywhere, so I decided to install a writing tent on my balcony. I read about writing nooks a long time ago, but I was pretty sure Lindsay would not let me put a tent in the living room of our one-bedroom apartment. So, a week ago, I took a measuring tape out to the balcony, measured the width (minus the outdoor couch and the planter), and picked out a structure that would fit in this space. Just so happens, that they make these tents for parents who watch their kids play outdoor sports. It’s thirty degrees warmer inside than outside, and keeps out wind and rain. I had on a jacket and my slippers and didn’t get cold at all! I put our balcony set inside and set up my iPad and keyboard and a cup of tea. Heaven.
I wrote a story story about a turkey who thought he was a goat (it did not win the Shtorytime contest this month, but maybe it’s not ready for showtime yet. I will revise it and publish elsewhere, soon), as well as 15,000 words for my second novel (I did not finish Nanowrimo, but this year I did not push as hard), and an article for Baseline Med and Medium (see below). So, in all, I consider my writing tent a success, and I’m hoping to leave it up till spring (weather and Lindsay permitting).
Lastly, I journaled every day. I mentioned last month that I write down ‘10 Dreams’ every day, but I did not mention that I also write down five things for which I am grateful. Starting my day with this practice has made me focus on the positives, even if they’re very small things, like being able to smell the cinnamon in my Hot Cinnamon Sunset tea or simply having a roof over my head. I am grateful that my patients are doing well and that my trainees respect me, I am grateful that I have a job in this economy, I am grateful for the lovely comments and questions I receive both in response to these emails as well as to my social media posts. I am grateful to be an ambassador and to be on the health equity committee for Fight! CRC, especially as the age for colon cancer screening drops to 45. Yay! Most of all, MOST OF ALL, I am grateful that my friends and family are happy and healthy.
When I pray every night, to this god or another, I pray that you all are happy, healthy, and whole.
We also went to Storm King (when it was 30 degrees out) for the first time.
Till next month, always go black tie!
I have a triptych accepted into our annual hospital art show. The Zoom link for “Opening Night” is below.
“We Need Art to Thrive’’ Opening Night
‘Choosing Colon and Rectal Surgery’ for Baseline Med (Next month: My experience being a woman in surgery!)
My interview with Hey Poopy! Podcast comes out mid December!