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Rule One: Take a Breath.
This is a lesson I simultaneously taught to and learned from Annie, a woman I met when we both went back to school some 20 years ago. It became something we repeated to one another frequently and helped immensely in both school but more importantly in life. It is a lesson that I have passed on to many people, especially premeds during the long marathon of becoming of physician. I have often said, if you remember nothing else from me, remember Rule One: Take A Breath. Annie also taught me better than anyone not to judge, to treat all people as humans no matter the circumstance, something that every prospective physician should know. And perhaps the most important lesson she taught when in a deep dark hole of emotion and depression always remember to look up. It is these lessons and much, much more, that I learned from her, and that I have tried to pass on in these forums. And even though we were just friends, having never even kissed, she was, I am certain the greatest love of my life.
As with many people, our lives went down different paths. In the past few years we have barely kept in touch. Occasionally a text or an email, but she was running her own business and raising a young child while I was dealing with ill older relatives necessitating multiple cross-country trips. Time is by far your most precious and limited asset. It was almost by chance that this week I came across her obituary from a year ago. It was shocking as she was still in her forties with a ten year old son. But the darkness that I feel from knowing I will never hear from my friend again is brightened a bit, knowing her lessons will be repeated over and over here on SDN. So as you go on this journey into medicine, if you remember nothing else that I say, remember Annie’s Rule: Take a Breath
For Annie, 1972-2019
Rest in Peace my friend
This is a lesson I simultaneously taught to and learned from Annie, a woman I met when we both went back to school some 20 years ago. It became something we repeated to one another frequently and helped immensely in both school but more importantly in life. It is a lesson that I have passed on to many people, especially premeds during the long marathon of becoming of physician. I have often said, if you remember nothing else from me, remember Rule One: Take A Breath. Annie also taught me better than anyone not to judge, to treat all people as humans no matter the circumstance, something that every prospective physician should know. And perhaps the most important lesson she taught when in a deep dark hole of emotion and depression always remember to look up. It is these lessons and much, much more, that I learned from her, and that I have tried to pass on in these forums. And even though we were just friends, having never even kissed, she was, I am certain the greatest love of my life.
As with many people, our lives went down different paths. In the past few years we have barely kept in touch. Occasionally a text or an email, but she was running her own business and raising a young child while I was dealing with ill older relatives necessitating multiple cross-country trips. Time is by far your most precious and limited asset. It was almost by chance that this week I came across her obituary from a year ago. It was shocking as she was still in her forties with a ten year old son. But the darkness that I feel from knowing I will never hear from my friend again is brightened a bit, knowing her lessons will be repeated over and over here on SDN. So as you go on this journey into medicine, if you remember nothing else that I say, remember Annie’s Rule: Take a Breath
For Annie, 1972-2019
Rest in Peace my friend
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