Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Michelle!!

Here is a 30-second clip covering your journey for the past 30 years - enjoy it!! 

 

https://www.facebook.com/1604045045/videos/10216995555353456/

Thank you, Chelle, for being such a curious, creative, bright and (at times) challenging little soul in our lives; thank you for taking us with you on this unforgettable journey; and thank you for your unwavering trust in us over the years.  I have learned so much from this incredible experience, and I cherish it every day.  

I remember the days when you tried to test my knowledge by asking me to name the nine planets in backward order in English; I remember the days when you tried to prove your love for me by telling me that you “wuv” me to the moon and back;  I am still finding your little notes, booklets, drawings, poems and stories everywhere in our house; I have collected every issue of The Nutmeg Times that you published; and I am keeping all the announcements and schedules of the English Class you offered to me and Dad...

I don't know about other kids, but it did take a village to raise you -- and you've made us very proud.

Cherish life, Chelle, with love and passion!  Cherish the opportunities you have to save lives.  Be the BEST doctor you can be and bring hope, comfort and peace to your patients. 

Love,

Mom

16 years of history: 1996 to 2011

Yes, I have been a good citizen, staying home and keeping my head down - to reconstruct a piece of history!

It all started with my continued effort to de-clutter. My goal was to throw away "something - or - anything" every week. When I found a whole box of weekly calendar books of mine from 1996-2011 (missing 2007 for unknown reasons), my initial reaction was - "Great, I can finally throw away this big box of heavy books."  Then, a soft voice: "Let me take a look before throwing them away..." and that's when the de-cluttering took an unexpected turn.

I flipped through less than 10 pages of the 2001 book and told myself right away: "Wow, I can't throw these away!"

What followed was several weeks of intense work of digitizing the 16-year unforgettable journey.  I stopped using calendar books when I started my most recent job in January 2012.  Why? I don't know.  Maybe I've finally come to the realization that there are more important things in life than a job!

Looking through these 780 pages felt like traveling back in time - when I took notes of every detail of my projects so diligently; when I spent so much time traveling for work; when the companies were so chaotic that I couldn't recognize the 2 names of my bosses on the page; when my little Michelle would remind me of her existence by periodically inserting her crooked handwriting in my books... It was truly a bumpy journey - filled with long nights, working holidays, and endless "change" and "unknown..."

Then it was the day when we sent Michelle to grade school, to junior high, to high school, and finally, to college in Boston on 8/22/2008; the spring break when we went to Key West; the summer break when we went to Alaska; the winter break when we went to Mexico; the spring breaks and winter breaks when we went to China to see grandma and grandpa...           

Traveling back in time is a profound experience.  You'd have a chance to look back on life with different and/or better perspectives; You'd have a holistic view on the entire journey, to understand the things that you were too young to understand in the past; You'd finally have time to reflect and absorb... And more importantly, you'd have a chance to ask yourself again: "what's the most important thing in my life?"  With that, hopefully, you'd be able to live forward with a better sense of awareness and clarity. 

Now, what about the de-cluttering???  Do I have the courage to truly LET GO of these books???