the big and the small

Today, I realized I'll hit my one year anniversary of employment with my healthsystem in February. My how time flies. So much has changed in just one year in both my professional and personal life.

I remember that first week wondering if I had made the right call by choosing healthcare as my concentration for both my master's degrees. I also remembering wondering if I had what it takes to make it in my line of work? There are days when I still wonder that.

But a year later, my department has undergone some major changes. Some unexpected, others necessary and still daily we face new challenges. Something I hope never changes. And I hope the day never arrives when I think I've learned it all or have it all figured out. Maybe to have more understanding but it's the challenges that cause us to dig deep, investigate, and cause us to grow and learn.

To be comfortable isn't an option.

The most valuable lesson I've learned this year is that comfort in my line of work can be a dangerous thing. We should constantly be challenging oursleves to do and be better. There's always room for improvement and so that's the path I'm chasing down...

I've learned alot in this last year and looking back to when I started I could've never imagined the road i'd travel down. Oddly, enough - what my job has taught me most is about the important things in life...not promotions, not titles, not money...but life.

Strangely enough, those lessons have been reinforced in my personal life as well. Many of you know about the medical journey my bro-in-law has been on and that he's been given a grim prognosis. So in this year, we've had to and are facing the concept of life and death.

Cary turned 30 this year so he's not very old depending on what side of that number you're on and your concept of old!

So given this complex journey for my family, I take that experience with me to my job. I try to remember that families are dealing with complex issues when I see them in the hall. It's very much changed my approach and understanding of the people we serve. I guess you could say that its brought humanity to my work.

This journey has been bittersweet and even now there's much uncertainty. Some days all we can do is to take one day, one moment at a time.