We'll miss you, Dr. Sima

Last week, I've done something I do quite often. I fell asleep before the kids did. 45 minutes later, I tried to return to the world of productive adulthood by checking my facebook while still in bed.
After cutesy pins and re-pins, I saw a post that looked like a bad joke. My friend posted that she called Dr. Sima's office to make an appointment and was told that Dr. Sima passed away.
I read and reread the post, suddenly very awake.
Comments on the post seemed to express condolences but I still didn't fully believe it. Dr Sima was young. Well, middle aged young, but still young. She had kids who were a bit younger than me.

I've met Dr SIma 6.5 years ago. The first thing that was very obvious about her - she was very kind. She had a kind face. She was gentle with my baby. She didn't give the aura of Dr-knows-best. Unassuming, compassionate, pleasant and personable.
She always sounded concerned about the welfare of my kids. She always gave them ( and me) the attention we needed, no matter how many patients she had in the office or how late in the day it was.

The news of Dr. Sima's passing filled me with sorrow. And regret. This past summer,  a few times, I wanted to visit her with the kids, just to say hi. But something always came up - no car, a job. I felt there was always next time.
The regret mixed with the guilt that there is no next time is quite unbearable, too. I wanted to go to her with the kids and tell her that we remember her and her kindness, to tell her one more time that she was the best pediatrician we knew. Now I can only tell it to this blog.

Good bye, Dr. Sima. May your memory be blessed.
(Originally written on September 4, 2012)

The best gift of all

I came home with left over birthday cake that my department got for me. And as soon as I walked in the door I told my kids that I bought them some of my birthday cake.
SiM answered "I have something for you, mommy." And he gave me a 20x20 card that said "Happy birthday to SiM's and Eh's mommy" that his teacher made in his playgroup. The card had SiM's and his playgroup buddies scribbles inside as well as birthday wishes from the teacher.

I asked SiM if he made the card in school and he proudly said 'yea!'. And when I called the teacher to tell her how grateful I was for the card and how it touched me, the teacher said "Don't thank me. Your son came to playgroup and said 'today is my mommy's birthday'. I asked him if we should make you a birthday card and he said 'yes'..."

The birthday card SiM gave me is one of the best birthday gifts I ever received.

New Addition

She didn't arrive after hearing the shofar on Rosh Hashana...
She didn't arrive after fasting and praying on Yom Kippur...
She didn't arrive on either first OR second day of Sukkot...
And then, she was here on the second day of chol hamoed- bright and early, 4:15 in the morning- my brand new Baby girl:)

Lost and Found

There is a delightful networking site 'odnoklasniki.ru' which is the Russian version of 'classmates.com'. After years of refusing to join any networking sites because 'emailing was sufficient', I caved in and joined facebook. It was fun for about a month and then facebook joined email-overstimulating, overwhelming, let-me-check-it-later kind of activity.

Then I met an acquaintance at a grocery store and he told me that odnoklasniki is the best site to reconnect with my Russian speaking American friends. 'We are all on it" were his words. And "facebook is a waste of time'.

So about a month later, while I was trying to prioritize all the chores that had to be done before I went to bed, I decided to check out odnoklasniki ( read: all chores can wait another day- what's a day compared to eternity?).

And there, together with my lost American friends, I found my best friend from elementary school with whom I lost touch over 10 years ago. I saw her picture where she looked pretty much the way I remembered her- just shorter hair and a bit more mature look. And, to make things so much more exciting for me, she lives in Manchester, England, i.e. she reads and speaks English!!!

I also got a chance to say hi to a couple of my classmates with whom I didn't have much to do since I left. Still, it was fun. And as far as my lost friend, she's found now. And we are trying to exchange 20 years worth of stories in small email installments.

Banana for the baby

I started my current assignment when I was about 4 months pregnant. As my stomach got bigger and bigger I got all obligatory attention from strangers, coworkers, and strange coworkers.
The benefits for big belly included an almost definite pass to a seat @ any nurses station ( though I must say, the shnucky PA students frequently pretended not to see and often I was too proud to ask), lost of advice on what to do and not to do, and bananas 'for the baby' from residents whose only way of showing attention and appreciation was to save their dessert (banana) and later give it to the recepient of the appreciation award.
Initially, (when my belly looked like that of someone who likes to eat ) I noticed a banana on desks of 2 of my coworkers (left over from the previous regime). And though there are bananas on sale in the cafeteria (50c each), I was told that those bananas were given to them by appreciative patients.
A bit envious of the attention and the 50c savings, I acted like an adult and either brought a fruit from home or just bought something from the cafeteria.
But, in less than 2 months, I got my first banana! And I was told 'it's for the baby' so I didn't even pretend to protest, graciously accepted the gift, and ate it.
Then, as my belly grew I started getting 2-3 bananas per day. And when I'd politely decline and say that I already had a banana, I'd be told " It's not for you, it's for the baby!'. And how can I refuse that kind of bananas!?
I diligently shared my bananas with all the coworkers who wanted them. Yet, there wasn't a day when I wouldn't eat a banana or two. If popularity in my gym was measured in bananas, I would be the undefeated reigning queen with no close competitors!
My baby is, thank God, almost 7 months. My fan club slowly dwindled. One resident was transfered to another facility, one went home, a few noticed that I obviously don't have such a huge belly anymore. One resident switched from bananas to milk and I kind of like the variety. However, if you'd see my desk today, you'd notice 7 bananas on it. And it's not that I'm hoarding them. I just have one die-hard friend who brings me up to 3 bananas per day (all but one banana coworkers have moved on). When I tell her that she doesn't really have to do that since I already gave birht to the baby, she insists saying " You're feeding him, right? Then eat the banana!"
I'm concidering opening a fruit stand with competitive pricing of 25c per banana ( when I overcome my fear of being accused of stealing bananas from the elderly).

Thank you book

I think it was probably yesterday or last week ( though I cannot at all be certain0 but I saw on TV ( naturally during work hours) there is a publication, possibly a best seller where a lady basically writes her outlook ( not the right term, but my time at the computer is short, so it'll have to do) on life- every single day to find and write down in a little journal things that she is thankful for.
What a wonderful idea, an attitude makeover- not just a mode ani in AM but in PM as well.
So now I realize-among many many things that I'm greatful for, I'm not only greatful for the food at my work and also for the many TVs there! Thanks