The Long Road Ahead at 20:22

     Residency is said to go by "in the blink of an eye."  At the very least, this is how the attendings describe the three or more years of their life that is forever cemented in residency.  Today, one particular attending physician reminded the interns (myself included) of the light at the end of the tunnel we felt so well towards the end of medical school.  She then pounded her fist on the table to dramatically imply that this light wasn't the end of the tunnel, but rather the oncoming freight train of residency - full speed ahead.  Awesome.
     Certain emotions overtake me when I think about this mountain I have to climb - fear, anxiety, excitement, concern, hope, and motivation - to name a few.  There's nothing more challenging in my life than taking on such a daunting task.  I've never taken care of a patient in the middle of the night.  I don't yet understand fully the complexities of the healthcare system (locally or generally).  But I am still learning.  There's more to learn, and that's what residency is all about.
     Thank God I have such an incredible wife and two beautiful healthy daughters who help me stand tall when I am shaken.  This family makes me at home again when I feel broken, defeated, and lost.  They are my shelter in the storm, the water when I thirst, and the voice that tells me to get up when I'm down.  I love them for making the impossible possible.

Today, I'm reminded of a favorite quote of mine, probably in my "Top Ten" quotes.  It's a little something that reminds me why I'm here:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.  The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly . . . who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known victory or defeat."
     - Teddy Roosevelt