Drumroll.

Of the more than five hundred posts that have appeared on this blog, only one of them was written by someone else. My one and only guest blogger happens to be my mentor-slash-friend-slash-fellow-Grady doctor, Neil W.  And as of 2012, this fact shall remain.

Believe it or not, it was Neil who I credit as part of the impetus behind me writing more. A few years back, he asked me to write a chapter for a book of narratives he's been working on, and one chapter became two chapters. Writing again felt so exhilarating that I was inspired to do more of it. And so. Voila. Enter "the little blog that could."

Neil and I chat a lot about our families and all sorts of things during our meetings. Neil has shared a lot of stories with me. Some of those stories, like the day he paid a homeless guy in Brooklyn to break into his dad's Cadillac, are laugh out loud funny. Some, like the story of when he lost his beloved Cadillac-loving father, left me tearful and speechless. One day he mentioned that there was one story in particular that he'd been thinking of writing about. Interestingly, this was one that we had never discussed.

Coincidentally, I posted about an experience I had with a patient with swastika tattoos that I'd seen at Grady one day. Realizing that Neil reads my blog and is of Jewish faith, I asked his thoughts about that experience, wondering what it might have been like for someone like him. Over that discussion he said this:

"Remember that story I said I was going to write about? It would probably explain a lot about how I feel about all of this."

And I just left it at that.

A few days ago, Neil sent me what he'd written. And I am so, so honored that he has decided to trust us with this story. Yes. It will be posted here, which keeps Neil W. firmly in the role of the one and only guest blogger ever to write for "the little blog that could."

Yup.

Whenever people are coming to our house for any reason, I make a point of telling Harry and the kids. Even if it is someone stopping by for two minutes, if they are coming into our home, I give them a heads up. I just think when folks are planning to sit on your furniture or enter into your personal space, you should know in advance, don't you? It also lets you prepare to welcome them properly.

This is no different.

And so. Come back soon to read the words of another Grady doctor. Those words gave me some added cultural competency, a bit of a history lesson and even more perspective on what it means to love. And you know? I am learning piece by piece and bit by bit that love makes hearts soar in every language and makes pain and loss hurt just as deep on any continent and in any color. Yes, it does.

Thanks, Neil. We 'preciate you.

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