ALL THE RIGHT FRIENDS

Just this week I got 2 birth announcements from med school friends. These announcements actually introduced three new babies as one of my friends was welcoming twins into his family! These friends were in my support circle during, at times, a very trying period in my life.

Lindsey had another little boy, Mark, to join her older son Carson. Carson was born when we were in school and we all had the pleasure of watching him grow up. Although we have had some e-mail interaction, I haven't spoken to Lindsey since we graduated.

Tod was blessed with twin (Joseph and Megan) siblings for his little boy Max to "big brother." Tod and I have kept in a little bit better touch but haven't seen each other in probably 5 years.

That's incredible. Really. Makes me wonder what I've been doing since I left my KC crew behind. I mean, obviously, we've all been busy. Residency makes it difficult to keep up with people. But, is that really a legitimate excuse? I've certainly made some good friends here in Texas. I haven't replaced my older friends, just enlarged my circle. And honestly, it's really hard to keep up with all my Dallas friends too and they live here!

Here's the thing that really gets me: At some point, do you stop making friends? Seriously. Think about it. How did you meet the majority of your current circle of friends?

I still have friends from high school (and earlier!) that will always be a part of my life. You've all been introduced to Natalie - that's a life-long friendship, more like family. And some day soon I'm going to write about Jackie . . . she's the star of some of my favorite memories. My UMKC years gave me some of the best friends a person could ever ask for. My girls - Polly, Jenn, and Leticia - got me through that hell hole! And Laura. Not to mention Nathan. Then there's Tod. Some day I'll expound at great lengths about Tod! Your teaser to tide you over: he's a Haller. And that support circle I mentioned earlier? All of the above plus so many more.

Cut to Dallas,TX and my residency. You can't spend that kind of time in one place, let it take over your life, without bonding with the people sharing your experience. Almost all of my friends in this city are from the hospital. I have a few others that started out as friends-of-friends and then dropped the "of-friends" part. But, mostly? Residency related.

So, basically I've spent my life collecting friends from my educational endeavers.

And now I'm done with school. Am I now done with making friends as well?

I know I'm being a little silly and oversimplifying things. I mean, I actually made two new friends in last couple of weeks (hi Chris and Brandon!). But do you get where I'm going? I'm sure new friends are in my future. But I'm also convinced that there are fewer to come than those that have come before.

And that's ok. It really is. But, only if I continue to nuture the friendships I have now.

Only if I e-mail Lindsey and tell her how adorable little Mark is and ask to see an updated picture of Carson. Only if I call Tod and try to make plans to get out to visit him and his new super-sized family on the East coast sometime really soon. Only if I actually follow through on my promise to visit Laura in Miami before I start working again. Only if I check in with Jackie to see how she and Tim are settling into their new house. Only if I call Natalie later today to gossip about boys and my travel plans to Ireland. Only if I e-mail Polly and Jenn a long commentary about the pics they sent me from their recent reunion in Hawaii. Only if I send a random text message the second I finish this blog to Nathan and Leticia telling them I miss them.

And only if I make an effort to spend some quality time soon with the people here in Dallas who were like family to me when I first moved away from mine.