Thanksgiving

November 21, 2012

I've been really busy with medical school interviews, with three back to back. But it's been great interviewing at so many schools, and at every school I notice that all the students are really united and the faculty is very helpful. Everyone helps each other study and share notes and I didn't sense a competitive environment at all. I'm really looking forward to studying with people who have the same goals in life as I do and know that I won't be by myself when I laboriously study long hours.

It's been a while since I last volunteered, but I chose the perfect day to come back. When I first arrived there was preacher talking to all the residents, and then they had a thanksgiving party. Some relatives of the resident brought homemade food and various desserts and I helped serve the residents ham and cheese sandwiches and cake. Even for those residents who could not eat solid food, the nurses made puree and mashed potatoes so he can enjoy with the rest of the people. Before they ate, the coordinator said a little prayer and a brief history of Thanksgiving and she went around each table asking what everyone is thankful for. There were some bitter residents who replied that they weren't thankful for anything, but some really jolly residents who said they were thankful for their families and living this long. It was a really happy time, many family members came, and all the nurses joined to eat while Christmas music played in the background.