During an interview, I was asked if becoming a mom changed me as a doctor. I inwardly groaned as this question was asked, part of it was the feminist in me and part of it was because I don’t think you have to be a parent to be a phenomenal doctor. However, the truth is that becoming a mom has changed every sense of who I am, so of course it changed me as a doctor. First, it has made realize the raw emotion of being a human being and that no matter what, now that I have kids I am vulnerable. I am now vulnerable to a loss so significant that it may break me, but that potential loss is so mountainous because I now have a house full of the unbridled joy and love that comes from the innocent little souls that are our future (#morethanfour).
I’ve always prided myself on my ability to empathize, but having kids put it in a new perspective. I always knew that my families were afraid and they were in pain. However, I am not sure I FULLY understood the tailspin their life was in. Becoming a mother (especially to two kids) has shown me that sometimes doggy paddling to keep your head above water is more than good enough on some (or most) days. So to the doggy paddling good enough mothers and fathers out there…you know who you are and I salute you. Keep paddling….I’ll get back to the science posts when these grants are submitted…I’m just paddling over here!
