Images of This American Life.

"Shine if you believe in love."

~ Frankie Beverly and Maze

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My friend Angella taught me how to savor my life through pictures. Here are some images of the recent parts of this American life. . . .

These snaps were taken during a midnight hospital run to hang out in the ER with my friend/sorority sister Bev and her little one. I didn't have any answers but I could tell that she was scared. So I gave her husband directions to the hospital and just sat with her until she felt less so.

We were laughing about my t-shirt because I told the nurse at the front that I was "Emory faculty" hoping we'd get special treatment. I pretty much got a hairy eyeball when I did. Bev said, "I mean, you DO have on a t-shirt that says 'THAT'S WHAT'S UP' on it." I guess that did make me look less official. Ha.

That was some good comic relief during a scary time.

I texted my medicine-nerd friends to ask their medicine-nerd advice and they were helpful. Talking to them made me realize that the best thing to do was just to throw on some clothes and go on up there like a good medicine-nerd should. I'm so glad I did. That sweet little one is doing great now, by the way.

Thank you, Shanta and Wendy, my #1 medicine-nerds, for your late night consultations that aided me in mine.

That's what's up.

Football season is back. It won't be the same without Auntie Deanna but something about these clouds made me feel like she was there with us for tryout week.

Something else tells me that she will be there for the rest of the season and all of the other ones ahead of us, too. She's likely cheering from heaven and as loud as she is, we'll hear it.

Ha.

Joy of all joys! Kris passed through Atlanta on a visit back to the states. I'm so happy that she stopped by to hang out on my couch with me (and share vino with me, too.)  It seems like forever since she moved away to Uganda.

We laughed and talked and cried and all that. That's what we do when we get together. Harry just walked by and shook his head at us. We're so mushy that he couldn't take it.

She told me all about the things she is doing in Uganda. As a doctor, a wife, a mommy, and a part of the community. She is nice with her Lugandan linguistics now and really seems to be at peace.

I miss her so much. This visit was really, really good.

This was good, too.

My friend (and former Grady doctor) Karen L. is having her first baby. We let that serve as a sufficient excuse to do what we regularly do when we get together. Eat and talk junk!

Ha ha  ha!

Good times.

And this. This!

I met Jill J.B.! In the flesh!

What a joy. This amazing woman was told about this blog a few years back and started reading it. Through her lovely comments, I've learned a lot about her. She's a cool mom with two amazing kids. She loves to let her light shine. And she has a heart for people.

And I could tell that she was my kind of people from all of that. But meeting her affirmed that.

We are now officially "real" friends. Not just virtual ones. (And Isaiah may or may not have taken a bit of a liking to her daughter.)

Ah hem.

Small Group Delta. Is it normal that I already heart them? Because I so very do.

And here's a full circle moment: The two guys in the blue are third year students on their clerkships in the hospital. The student in the middle is a first year student there for the "week on wards." The guy on the right, Jeff, was on my team for his week on wards two years ago. When I ran into him I told him, "I hope you are paying it forward." 

"Don't worry," he told me, "I am."

Then we talked about this. 

That made me happy.

This did, too. . . . .

Date night with the BHE! Date night rules! 

So does double date night!

We always have a great time with our friends Marc and Akima H. They are just an awesome couple with whom we adore hanging out.

Plus Akima always makes me laugh. Which I love. She's a dear friend.

And speaking of good friends.

Had some good time hanging out with my friend and fellow Grady doctor Wendy A. She is wise. She is kind. She is the kind of friend that makes you better.

Which reminds me . . . 

I hung out at our Jack and Jill Regional Banquet with this awesome mama-soror-friend of mine, Yvette D. She is just. . . .just. . . .the woman. For reals. 

Yep.

I love when I see someone with a magnet on their car from my brother's veterinary practice. This Subaru was parked at Isaiah's robotics camp. I was really excited to see this!

This makes me happy when I look at it.

Neighborhood pools rule.

So do funny kids.

Yep.

Hey. Guess what?

Mom did a 5K last Sunday . . . .  as a part of this fun-day with the fam.

He likes the ladies. What can I say?

And this -- my Volvo at the 100,000 mile mark. On the dot. I took this photo especially for my mother (who has a strange affinity for odometers that read whole numbers like this.)

Uhhh yeah.

And this.

I love watching my boys who happen to be best friends. . . . just being themselves in the comforts of our home.

You know what? That's what's up.

***
Happy Tuesday.

Now playing on my mental iPod as I look at these pictures. . . one of my favorite songs of all time--"The Golden Time of Day" by Frankie Beverly and Maze. I could listen to this and twirl around my house to it all day long.