Wisdom

Good Advice I was once given, that have influenced my life at critical points:

• Question everything and find your own answers
• Don't go to school for something you already know how to do, go to learn something new
• Don't let your fears overcome your faith and goals. God can help you accomplish anything
• Don't ever make important decisions when PMS-y
• If you act very confident in what you are doing, others will believe you more
• The best way to give a talk is to study, prepare, and write it all out... Then leave it at home.
• Simplify, simplify, simplify. What is MOST important, and what is "fluff"?
• Once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. Don't give up when the pressure mounts.
• Life is Hard, and then you die...

The Story

I've had several requests for the engagement story. Here's my favorite version:

The night he proposed, Ben took me back to Red Butte Cafe, the restaurant where we met on a blind date almost exactly 2 years ago. It was kind of neat to reminisce on our time together since then. Back at my house, when he came in the door, he gave me a big hug and started telling me that he was sorry, he knew that I had been waiting a long time and I had been very patient, but I just needed to wait a little longer... I got pretty disappointed right about then, sure that it meant that it wouldn't happen that night. Then he stopped and said "I have a better idea" and knelt down on one knee and asked "Emily, will you marry me?". I was startled at the shift and said "Are you kidding me?" (in my defense, he had been teasing me about it all week). At which point, he pulled out the ring box and told me how he loved me, trusted me and wanted me to wear this... There was the most beautiful ring I ever saw (ok, I did help design it so I knew I would love it). I definitely said YES! I think he was just as excited to see it on my hand as I was.

The announcement you've all been waiting for...

Yes, I'm engaged! It's official now. I have found the love of my life, someone that is perfect for me. Someone I am excited to share eternity with...and I have a very sparkly ring to show for it. :)

Things you don't mention to a hypochondriac

I think every health care professional ends up as a hypochondriac of sorts. Especially those of us who never did the medical school thing but know just enough to be dangerous. We are familiar with a few signs and dangers, but not enough to know the whole story.

So, symptoms that others might get very worked up over, we can dismiss easily as nothing significant. But what many people will dismiss as something weird, turns us to fretting we have cancer. We get even worse when we socialize around other medical personnel. Since I seem to have surrounded myself with nurses, in and out of work, I get all sorts of interesting perspectives and opinions. I consequently was almost convinced last night that I had had a mini-stoke. Thanks for that, Ben.

Thankfully, I have hilarious sisters that kept me laughing about it and let me blame all my horrible raquetball playing on that...