the home stretch

I don't know about you, but I find myself forever wishing for something I don't have. Sometimes, I'm even wishing for something I had yesterday; yesterday I was wishing for today. You would think that at the age I am, I would be a little bit better at appreciating the moment. I'm working on it.

So I spent the first half of my stay here missing my family, my friends, my home, my irises. And while I'm definitely looking forward to coming home to all of those things (except for the irises, which are done now), I'm feeling sad to be leaving the people I've bonded with while I've been here. I like the midwives here, and the secretaries. Last year I was sad to leave them, too, but we all knew I would be back. This time I know that I won't be back here anytime soon, so it makes going home bittersweet.

The other interns are also a joy to be with. Its been fun getting to know them, and hear about their homes and lives, and know that we're all missing that together helps to make bonds. This has been a fun group of people. KD, from Wyomying/Oregon, has been a delight to meet. She's planning on going to grad school to become a Certified Nurse Midwife. She'll be a great, caring midwife. Dianna is from Puerto Rico. We're all envious of her beautiful Spanish, but she also speaks fluent English and so we've had a chance to get to learn about her home, family and traditions. Chana Luba is the newest intern, hailing from Massachusettes. Chana is Orthodox Jewish, so we've all learned some things about her faith and her lifestyle in the short time that she's been here. Brenda is here from Georgia, and knows my friend Judy who was here with me last year. She's missing her kids and grandkids at home, but has taken her time to share lots of support and information with us. It's so great to be here with such a cool diverse group of women--working, living, and learning together.

So while I'm happily making prepartions to come home, I'm aware that my new friendships will take on a different shape. Conversations over long distance, facebook entries and the like aren't quite the same as living and working together. Hopefully, we'll meet up at some other midwifery gatherng--a conference or another training opportunity. Definitely, these women will leave here and be a blessing to the birthing community with all of their knowledge and compassion.

So I've shipped some of my items home, and I'm planning when I'll pack my things up, and gathering things from all little corners of the house that are mine so I don't leave anything behind. I made my last trip to the grocery store today, trying to make sure to buy only what I will use before I leave, so as not to contribute to the growing pile of "community" food. And the family back home has the heads' up that Mom is coming home, so we better start cleaning up the house!