BOTANICAL GARDEN AND BONSAI

One of my favorite places in Ann Arbor is the Matthaei Botanical Garden. Today, we decided to bike there on our usual route through Gallup Park and Parker Mills Park. 

It was a beautiful Memorial Day morning - 65 degrees and sunny without a cloud in the sky. Despite the rain the last few days, there was little humidity, and it felt refreshing to be outside.

Once we arrived, we decided to check out the Bonsai garden. There were a variety of plants, including some flowering bonsai, which I had never seen before!

I am sure there will be many more trips there over the summer. I cannot wait to see how much the garden has changed next time!

CITY BY THE BAY

I was in San Francisco last week visiting the medical school there, the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). I had not been there in over a year and a half since the funeral of my friend, Felix, who had worked there. That trip was very short, and I did not even make it into the city. However, this time I stayed right in the middle of the action in the South Beach neighborhood near UCSF. 

It has been a while since I lived in a big city, and I was able to appreciate all that was on offer. I ran along the Embarcadero. I walked around quite a bit and explored the nearby sites.

I had some amazing meals, including one with some of the UCSF faculty and another with my friend, Leisha.

The weather was beautiful, and there was a palpable energy to the city. Young professionals, tourists, and hipsters ambled along the avenues or shared public transportation., moving like a river. One could not help but feel alive!

It was a wonderful trip to the City by the Bay. I hope I get back there soon!

GRATITUDE

We take so much in life for granted and often forget just how lucky we are. I was reminded of this on two occasions recently - both involving people with disabilities.

The first example took place at work, where the man in front of me in a wheelchair was trying to navigate the old, faulty, "automatic" door at our hospital. On a good day, the door barely opens. For this gentleman, this was more than a nuisance, it was a significant obstacle to simply getting to work. Fortunately, the door eventually opened, and he was able to enter.

When I was flying recently, a blind man took the seat in front of me. He tried to get the attention of his seat mate, saying, "Excuse me," multiple times. His seat mate did not answer because he was wearing his noise cancelling headphones. Finally, I tapped his seat mate on the shoulder to get his attention. During the flight, the blind man had to navigate eating his meal, getting his suitcase down, and disembarking. These are challenges I have never faced, and I was so inspired by how undaunted he was.

These two experiences were a reminder of all the reasons I have to feel grateful. I will try to remember this the next time I am feeling down or upset about life. If these men can overcome these challenges, it gives me hope that I can do the same.

RUNNING IN THE RAIN

One of our favorite family activities is going for walks in our neighborhood. Though we have several routes, our standard is up Vinewood Blvd. to Washtenaw Avenue, which we affectionately call the "Washtenaw" walk. 

This week, Cate and I decided to go for an evening Washtenaw walk. The temperature was pleasant, but the sky looked a little cloudy - not dissimilar to many nights this time of year. Undaunted, we headed out. We talked about school, sports, and what she was looking forward to this summer. 

However, once we reached the halfway point, the sky began to darken a little more. A few raindrops beat down on our heads. Within a few minutes, we are caught in the midst of a downpour! 

Fortunately, we had on our running shoes, and we decided to ran the half mile, or so, home. We managed to avoid getting completely soaked, but it felt refreshing to be out there together. 

Not waiting for the rain to pass; rather, running in the rain is one of the simple pleasures that makes life beautiful.

DUCKING HOME

At the end of each semester, the staff at the Daily Orange, Syracuse's school newspaper, who are rotating off their positions write columns called "Ducks." Today, I stumbled across the column Nicholas wrote after finishing up his term as Sports Editor.

The columns are heartfelt and offer shoutouts to the other staff members who have touched them personally and professionally. For obvious reasons, I found Nicholas' to be particularly moving. What became clear was just how influential and important his time at 230 Euclid, the address of the "D.O." as the Daily Orange is affectionately known, has been.

The number of people he thanked numbered into the twenties, and it felt so good to read about and "meet" the many individuals who have looked out for our boy and made him the tremendous writer, editor, and leader he has become at the paper and beyond.

I could not be more proud of Nicholas and how much he has grown since going to college I feel so happy that we encouraged him to leave home to attend Syracuse so he could chase his dream of becoming a journalist. His "Duck" clearly demonstrates that these he is right where he belongs - in his new home!

THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR

Friends have always been a vital part of my life. Since our move here seven years ago, I have missed having close friends nearby. Without friends, most days revolve around work and family time. While I enjoy both of these things, friends take one's life to another level.

Fortunately, I still have friends throughout the country, though I do not see them as frequently as I would like. For that reason, the last few weeks have felt invigorating due to visits by two close friends from Austin and my visit to one of my best friends from medical school in New York. I did not realize how much my life was wanting until I had a chance to see these loved ones.

What is it that makes a friend so special? The shorter answer may come from the question what don't friends bring to one's life? Friends remind you who you are and how far you have traveled. Friends introduce us to new pleasures and perspectives. Friends provide comfort, solace, and understanding in a world that often feels cold and remote. Friends are like family, but they love you even though you're not related!

My life would be very empty without the many friends who have and continue to touch my life. I have tried to be that kind of friend to them, too, over the years. Amidst all the chaos, suffering, and confusion, friends offer a lifeline, a throughline, and a mainline of experiences and memories that can last a lifetime. 

If you haven't reached out to a friend lately, I encourage you to do so. I promise you will feel much better and so will they. I know I do everytime I see an old friend or make a new one!

RUNNING FOR MY LIFE

Joni Mitchell once famously wrote, "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone." I have learned that lesson all too well the past nine months dealing with an ankle injury that has kept me from running.

Only my two bouts with chronic compartment syndrome have sidelined me longer than this latest spell, which involved hours of PT that did not seem to make much of a difference, a few weeks in a brace, and lots of time doing non-running activities in the gym. For all those reasons, it has felt so wonderful to be back to running, including on my beloved 5K loop through Gallup Park.

There are many reasons I find running so valuable. It is a chance to get out into nature. It is a chance to clear one's head and to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and it sure is a nice way to knock out lots of podcasts! More than that, running centers me and provides balance, perspective, and a sense of wonder as I move through space - no matter the pace.

I will enjoy this latest respite from injury and try not to lose sight of how lucky I am to be healthy enough again to run. Who knew such a simple thing could make such a difference to my life? Now, I do.