I’m not sure exactly when it happened.
Definitely, after finishing residency and having time to think. While in residency you are barely hanging on and I was lucky if I made it to the grocery store, let alone be conscientious about what I was purchasing.
Like, I’m sure it happens for many, the birth of my first child got me thinking more about my own health and my family’s health. As a physician getting ready to enter her own practice, I also began to feel obligated to think more about what is in our food, our household products, our clothing, and our environment for the sake of my patient’s. After all, they were bringing babies into this world too.
Once residency ended, I decided I needed to take time to devote to my son, born during residency at University of California, San Francisco, and figure out the next steps for my family. It’s hard to get off the treadmill of a medical career when you’ve been on it for so many years but it gave me a chance to think about what is truly important.
My husband and I had toyed with the idea of moving to Hawaii, a place we both enjoy. Instead we found ourselves in Livermore, just about the opposite of Hawaii. My husband had grown up there and with our little one a Nana, Pop-Pop and Kiki (auntie) nearby had new meaning. Other family members also live relatively close with their children. With family and friends already there it felt like a naturally established community. Finding somewhere where we could build our family and community became a top priority. Funny how much a child changes your life, in so many ways!
After making the decision to take time off to care for my child, move to Downtown Livermore, and ultimately, revert to simplifying life it’s impossible not to begin to ponder other aspects of your life. We planted a garden. We shop at the weekly Farmer’s Market. We walk everywhere we can, son in the red wagon for shopping trips a few blocks to the grocery store. Just about every Sunday we spend the evening at my in-laws for dinner.
This simplicity of life translated into learning more about healthful living, natural ingredients, and ways to reduce our ecological footprint. Our children’s futures depend on it. The self-centeredness of caring only for yourself and hanging on just to get through residency evolved into thinking more family centered about how to improve the health of my family. It’s further expanded to concern regarding these issues in my community.
As someone whose always liked to write and often kept journals, to solidify the information I am learning and make the commitment to the universe, I am now choosing to write about and share it. While not an expert in these matters, you will be accompanying me on my learning journey and maybe find your own journey in the process.
Here’s to improving our health, the health of our community, and the world…one choice at a time!
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