Turning the Page

We finally got the news we have been hoping for. My sweet, handsome, brilliant husband has been accepted to medical school!

Can you hear the resounding WOOHOO coming alllll the way from Texas?! Lots of shouting going on around here lately. The good kind though. And fist pumping. Oh, and some crying (for me anyways). I don't know what it is about mealtime, but every time I sit down to eat I just want to weep into my food. I'm just so grateful. And so happy. And so proud. And so relieved. I have so many emotions right now that I haven't quite sorted them all out yet. 

I have written about the difficulties of waiting before. The pre-med journey is full of waiting. It is brutal, but necessary. Gaining acceptance to medical school is a long process and there's no skipping steps. Pre-meds put in endless time, effort, energy and money for a goal dream that is not even guaranteed in the end.

Then it happens. Risk meets reward. For the first time in a long time, I feel like we can finally look forward.

Yet, I somehow find myself waiting again. BUT, this time it feels totally different. This wait is more like joyful anticipation. Excitement. I'm practically effervescent. Can August get here any sooner? 

And then...we attended the 'accepted students day' offered by the medical school. First of all, most of the students were accompanied by their parents, but my husband was there with his wife of almost 9 years. We had a good chuckle over that one. Secondly, we were given a campus tour by a MS2 who walked 90 miles an hour, talked even faster, and sucked down a monster energy drink like her life depended on it. Probably not even her first one of the day. We chuckled again. That does not bode well for my man. Lastly, during a student panel, a MS3 gave some sage advice to eager students. I'm paraphrasing of course, but she said something along the lines of, "If you're thinking about reading, studying, and getting ahead...DON'T. Spend the next few months with your family and friends. Travel. Sleep. Enjoy life while you can." We chuckled once again, but I sensed a nervous lilt in the laughter this time. 

So, as excited as we are to advance to the next stage of this journey, the next few months hold a unique opportunity. Over the last couple of years, I often found myself wishing the time away. That's easy to do when life is hard. But I don't want to do that now. Instead, we will do exactly what that wise MS3 suggested. We recently spent a fabulous week on the beach, we are looking forward to a fun weekend in Las Vegas soon, and some family time is in order. The next few months will entail lazy weekends, sleeping in, television and great books. Because we can. Because we are still blissfully unaware of how hard life is about to get. 

All along, our goal has been to write our own story. It just so happens that the most satisfying stories to read are the ones in which each chapter is packed with adventure, but manages to wrap up perfectly before moving on to the next one. Before the last few pages of our pre-med chapter go slipping through our fingers, I'm grabbing a pen and adding a few. 

Natalie 

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