EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY

Throughout much of my life, I hated Sundays. This was mainly because it meant the end of the weekend and a return to school or a busy work week during medical training. However, something happened as I got older. Sunday became my favorite day of the week.

There are many explanation for why Sunday became such a sanctuary for me. When I started my faculty career, I often worked on Saturdays to wrap up the work I did not finish during the work week. Therefore, Sunday became my one day off. I made the absolute most of that day, often playing pick up soccer, watching soccer on T.V., and definitely reading the Sunday Times. 

It is Sunday today, and today was no exception to my routine. I started off with a nice run outside while the snow quietly fell. I then settled in for a few hours of reading the Times. 

Afterwards, I took a nice walk in our neighborhood. During that walk, I listened to a playlist by the Smiths and Morrissey, one of my favorite bands and singers from my youth. Fittingly, one of the songs that came on was, "Everyday is Like Sunday." That song laments Sunday's arrival, but on my walk on a somewhat dreary Michigan winter day, I was struck by just how beautiful this Sunday was and how far I have come since those teenage years listening to those bands.

I have lived all over the country. I have trained in some of the finest medical centers and am now a faculty member in one of them. I have amazing friends, wife, and kids, and most of my dreams have come true! I hope I can remember all the things I have to be thankful for on the other days of the week so that everyday can be like Sunday!

WINNING THE NATTY!

One week ago, the University of Michigan (U-M) Wolverines won the National Football Championship, capping off an undefeated 15-0 season! It was a long way from the depths of the 2020 COVID season when the team had a losing record and was in the wilderness of college football.

To his credit, Coach Jim Harbaugh re-tooled his coaching staff and his game approach, reverting to strong defense and a pounding run game. In the last three years, the results speak for themselves: three consecutive victories over their rival Ohio State, three straight Big 10 Championships, three College Football Playoff berths, and now one "Natty," or National Championship!

There is a quote attributed to former U-M President Lee Bollinger when asked about why football matters and why it is important to invest in football at a top academic institution. Bollinger reportedly simply said, "if the team wins on Saturday, people are happier to come to work on Monday."

Last week, we were quite happy, indeed, to come to work! Go Blue!

THE NEW YORKER

In the year 1996, one of my dear friends from medical school first introduced me to the magazine, the New Yorker. This was before magazines were online and content could be easily shared. Therefore, my friend would photocopy articles that really touched him and share them with me. Ironically, my friend moved to Manhattan for residency in 1997, and he has been a New Yorker, himself, ever since!

Sometime in the early 2000s, I became a subscriber. Though I considered cancelling my subscription many times - especially during busy periods - I always felt like doing so would be like selling out or giving in to the demands of life. Needless to say, I never cancelled my subscription and remain very much a fan.

The New Yorker has navigated some seriously challenging times - the authoritarianism of Donald Trump and his attacks on the press, the balkanization of the media landscape and the disbelief in facts, and the dearth of advertisers to support the increasing costs of running a media organization.

Despite all these challenges, the New Yorker continues to put out incredible commentaries, articles, and podcasts. The New Yorker Radio Hour is in fact one of my favorite podcasts, and so it was a treat to hear an interview with the magazine's editor, David Remnick, on this week's episode. I have enjoyed his writing for years, but I did not know much about his life or career arc. I shared this episode with Nicholas and hope that it inspires him and helps him understand that life is not a straight line and that one's own personal experiences should inspire and influence one's reporting. 

Consider me a New Yorker subscriber for life!

TWO THINGS AT ONCE

In an attempt to make sense of life, we often think in black vs. white or all vs. nothing terms. However, life is much more nuanced and complicated than that. I have tried to remind myself of this in this new year to avoid catastrophizing situations or circumstances.

The ability to see clearly and to put things in context is indeed becoming rare as we retreat to our filter bubbles with our curated news feeds that echo our pre-conceived world views. I do not know how to break our biases except to take a moment before drawing a conclusion or making a judgement. This is easier said than done, but I don't know of anything our world needs more than - honest perspectives and the ability to hold two disparate thoughts in one's head at a time. Hamas is evil, but so the Israeli response is similarly unforgivable. Our workplace has major issues, but the work is still rewarding. Our projects are not moving like they should, but they are important projects that we are capable of executing.

Two things at once. I will do my best to remember that today and every day.

LIFE IS BUT A GAME

I have always been enamored with the Shakespeare line, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exist and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." It seemed to capture the complexity of our existence and how so many other characters shape the course of our lives. 

In her most recent novel,"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow," the writer Gabrielle Zevin has taken this quote and another equally famous Shakespeare's quote, from which the title is drawn, to sketch a beautiful story of two longtime friends over multiple acts.

After finishing the book, I read several articles and watched several interviews with the author. Without fail, each talked about how they felt that the book had been written for them. I had the same exact feeling, which speaks to how truly special and resonant this novel is.

On the surface, the story is about video game design in the early days of this field. However, video games are merely the medium the vehicle through which this story comes together over the course of some twenty years from adolescence in Los Angeles to college in Cambridge, and back to L.A. again for early adulthood of the protagonists.

Along the way, we see the arc of these characters' lives - their triumphs and their challenges - and how those experiences test their relationship and friendship. This book made me think fondly about so many of my friendships over the years, particularly one that began at the same age as the main characters and that continues to this day. Our relationship, too, began through a heavy dose of game playing, though - in our case - these were board games. I reflected on the highs and lows of that friendship and so many others.

While I did not wish to go back in time to that earlier part of my life, I found myself longing to feel as deeply as I did back then - full of passion, love, and longing. Somewhere along the way - perhaps because of eventually achieving some of one's dreams or perhaps because we take life for granted - we lose the ability to live so deeply. In that sense, "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" - like no other book I have read-  is a wake-up call. 

Perhaps the best compliment I can pay this book is that it made me feel deeply; it made me appreciate what an amazing life I have had with so many amazing fellow players; it reminded me that how we navigate life and how we interact with others is within our control. 

I, for one, hope the game of life I have played so far does not end any time soon.

REST

2023 was one of the hardest years of my life. We helped Nicholas navigate his college decision, which ultimately took him away from home. We moved him in. We encountered innumerable challenges at work due to staffing shortages and the refusal to address those shortages. I wrote 12 grants, many of which were over 100 pages. In sum, there was very little rest in 2023.

I had thought of rest as loafing or scrolling and not doing much of anything, but I learned on a new podcast episode today from the Atlantic that rest can be quite active and restorative. Exercising, taking mindful walks, pursuing one's hobbies - which I seem to have dispensed with in recent years - and connecting with others are all examples of rest. 

I had the chance to wish several friend groups happy new year today, and without fail I wished every one of them a restful 2024. I wish you the same!

COOKING WITH CATE!

Once we would have called her the mac 'n' cheese queen, but now Cate is quite a home chef and foodie. She makes her own breakfast everyday - usually overnight oats or a yogurt granola parfait - but it is her dinners that really sing.

Yesterday, for New Year's Eve, she made a wonderful dish of Ayesha Curry's General Ayesha's Chicken. It was flavorful and reminded me of P.F. Chang's or Panda Express. Topped with some grilled broccolini and garneshed with rice, it was absolutely wonderful! I cannot wait to taste more of this girl's cooking in the years to come!