Reflections from an Administrative Friday: Five Trillion Things

Isaiah's school was closed on Friday but Zachary's wasn't. Although I wasn't on the clinic schedule, I had five trillion things to do that had been simmering on the back burner during my inpatient ward month in August. Letters of recommendation for medical students, revisions on manuscripts, residency program related tasks. . . .I needed this administrative day.

My initial plan was to bring Isaiah with me to my office for the morning, and let him toodle on my iPad while I tackled this mountain of work. Then at 2pm, I'd take him to his after school care center (which was still open) for the afternoon. Isaiah's a great sport, so I knew it wouldn't be a big deal. I already knew what he'd say:


"Play on your iPad? That'll be totally awesome!"

But when he heard the plan for the day, he took pause. Instead of saying what I had predicted, that morning he held his hands open and asked me:

"Do you have to go to work? Can't we just make it 'The Mommy and Isaiah Day' instead?"


Hmmm. But I have five trillion things to do, son. Don't you want to play on my iPad all morning and then see your friends in the afternoon?


He read my mind and answered before I could utter a word.

"You know what I want? I just want it to be 'The Mommy and Isaiah Day,' okay Mom?"


My response is below:






I'm glad that I'm learning . . . . sometimes. . . . . . .those five trillion things have to wait.