Boy, life is busy! My kids have activities, my clinic waiting room is filled with patients, my siblings and friends want to get together. It's hard to fit everything in, especially for myself. Recently, I’ve noticed a theme from my friends, colleagues, and patients saying something like "I don't have time for working out/my hobby/joining the book club/insert self-care activity here. Between the kids' activities, work, and everything else, I have no time or energy left. Once the kids...

We are finishing up the month of love, Today, I want to share something I've been working on over the last six years. It's been a true labor of love. 2020 was rough. March brought a pandemic and the shutdown of the surgical portion of my practice for several months. I went from working full time, seeing 30 to 40 patients a day, to seeing about 8 patients one or two days a week. I was “nonessential,” and that word encompassed how I felt. I tried teaching my second and fourth graders at...

I went to the funeral of a colleague today. His death was sudden, unexpected and feels unfair. Our entire community is reeling from the shock. The service was beautiful with flowers and photos and so. Many. People. Hundreds of people came to pay their respects. There were stories and images of his adventures, successes, and family. It was a service that told the story of a life well lived. We often talk about living aligned with our values. I’ve said it. I’ve poured through lists of core...