Mentoring Matters
“Show me a successful individual and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing you the way. A mentor.” Denzel Washington A mentor can be defined…
I Don’t Have Answers About Life and Death and Neither Do You, But Let’s Live Our Life Better.
This morning I went to the funeral of a little boy I delivered two and a half years ago. I have taken care of his mother for quite a few years as I also delivered his older sister. He died after a brave and ferocious battle against rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma in…
So, how’s that New Year’s resolution to lose weight going?
So, how’s that New Year’s resolution to lose weight going? As a physician specializing in weight management, you would think I would be a big fan of New Year’s resolutions to lose weight. I’m not. Call me cynical, but I find New Year’s resolutions to be well-intentioned, but short lived, attempts to change ourselves dramatically…
Social Connections as The Secret of Happiness
Are you alone at this time of the year, or do you plan to spend time with your family and friends? Do you know of the loners in your neighborhood or your work places? If you have, like me, many holiday gatherings to go to, count yourself very lucky. You might complain how you do…
A Thanksgiving Message from an Interfaith Service at Saint Francis Episcopal Church in Potomac
I love Thanksgiving as it marks the beginning of the holiday season. It also reminds me of all the important relationships I have in my life. It’s a “home coming” kind of holiday and one of kindness, where many of us look out for those who don’t have too many social ties, who yearn to…
Three Letters From Sarajevo
On Sunday evening, my husband and I attended a music event at Strathmore, a concert meant to broaden our horizons. Three Letters from Sarajevo, by Goran Bregović, a diversely talented Serbian-Croatian musician. For much of the evening, I found my thoughts drifting to the horrific shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue and the lives senselessly ended. Each…
Nevertheless, We Persist…
Two years ago, one of my 18 year old patients almost killed herself. Her mom told me how she came home abruptly from college and showed signs of severe depression. An emergency appointment with a therapist revealed how she recently was raped on her college campus by a male student she knew. Her college administrators…
A Day In Hiroshima: Tolling the Bell for Peace
Two weeks ago we were in Japan. It was an amazing and interesting country and culture for us to explore. The Japanese we met during our trip were so polite, so gentle, and very formal in many ways. Their streets were absolutely clean, something we had heard from many friends who had travelled to Japan…
On Valor and Vitality – Lessons from Senator McCain’s ‘Battle’ Against Cancer
Senator John McCain’s “maverick” politics placed him among the most intriguing contemporary legislators. His policies and feud with the current president continue to inspire support and criticism from the partisan masses. But Senator McCain’s last year of life also inspired conversations about how we cope with illness, both individually and collectively. In July of 2017,…
Tomato Day: A Morning at Carrboro Farmers Market
Every time my husband and I are in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, visiting my parents-in-law, we make sure to join them for the Saturday ritual of going to the wonderful Carrboro Farmers Market. The market is quite extensive, with cheese, pasta, gourmet soup or bread makers, mushroom farmers, and flower growers, in addition to the…