betsy

The first time my parents dropped me off at college, it was just the three of us in the van. As the oldest of 4 children, it was a sweet and rare opportunity to have both parents to myself. In those final hours before they left me at the dorm, they were handing out last-minute

There was that one class in college that I dreaded to take. It was rumored to be a tough one that required a ton of memorization. I held off registering for that class as long as I could. Then, it came to the point of no return. Given it was required for my major, I

I woke up at 2:30 a.m. the other night. There were no loud sounds to startle me, no random alarm that went off. No cold shaft to bother me- the comforter was tucked in place My eyes adjusted to the dark. It was quiet. But I was wide awake. That’s strange, I thought.  Maybe the

“I regret to inform you…” The words I never wanted to see on the e-mail I had been anxiously waiting on. “Fail” A feeling of rejection washed over me as the monosyllabic word glared at me from the screen after I clicked “submit”. “I’m sorry…you didn’t make the team.” My daughter, crushed, from hearing those

Eight dollars. That’s all my father had in his pocket when he came to America. After months of writing hand-written letters to each other, he met his beautiful bride at the airport when she arrived. A few weeks later, they were married in a chapel with friends as witnesses.  Their parents and siblings were thousands

I was 16 years old when I had the opportunity to shadow a highly intelligent young physician.  He had a big smile and was kind. Watching from the corner of the exam room, I saw how well he interacted with the young child on the table. The mother of the patient sat across the room,

“Mama, is this the best coffee you’ve ever had?” I was sipping the cup she brewed using our machine. It was complete with cream, sugar and all. “It’s good!” “But… it’s not the best?” she asked. “It’s good!” I repeated. She smiled.  She could tell I was trying to be nice. I hugged her.  It

Help Wanted.  I saw one of those signs a few days ago.   In fact, during the summer months, they are everywhere. Stores are packed to the brim with tourists and young children, and managers need a few extra hands to help make the sales happen. College students, looking for a way to make extra money

My first dream job as a pediatrician was at a small clinic. There were 3 other doctors who were well established there with a wealth of experience.  Fresh out of training, I was grateful to start this journey under their wings. They taught me everything, from correctly identifying rashes to properly using medical records to

I applied for a job once. It was about ten minutes away from home. I could easily pick up my kids after school. Flexible schedule. Reasonable expectations. I imagined myself working with the team there and got excited. It really was a great fit for me. Except for the fact that they didn’t want me.