Finding Family away from Family :-)

(L top)- The whole PA school gang introducing " The Ugly Christmas Sweater Day :-) "

( L mid) Sushi night for Jess's bday

( L bot)- Diversity thanksgiving with 1st years, 2nd years and faculty :-)

Hey readers,

So Im not due to write another blog just yet, but yesterday was a reminder as to why the lasting friendships you will acquire here at Shenandoah's PA program are so wonderful & such a blessing.

So the other day one of my classmates saw that I was kind of feeling down in the slump a bit and definitely not my happy self, so she invited me over to her house. We ordered pizza and wings, drank wine and watched funny movies. It was just the touch I needed to change my mood. I guess my slight depression (aka in the slump feelings) kicked in out of nowhere because for one I live alone for my first time EVER and coming from a large family, you tend to like it at first ( for the peace of mind) but then you quickly begin to miss the love and closeness of having family and/or friends around you. Its like you actually miss the noise, chaos and the having someone in close proximity just in case you need a hug or just a ear to talk off. But even more than that my down mood could be attributed to the random thoughts of my first classmates graduating in a few weeks. I guess it's reality slapping me in the face and letting me know just how close I really was, that I was right there. However, I can't dwell on the past. I do know for a fact that once they graduate I will be in a much better mood. Seeing them is a constant reminder that yes its for real, Im not walking on that stage with my PA family that I started out with. Im so happy to have met them though and some of them will be my friends forever and that alone gives me a lot of peace. Im super excited to see every one of them graduate because in all honesty I can't pick out one person in class of 2009 that wouldn't make a fantastic PA for different reasons. So no I'm not jealous or mad at them for any reason, I actually love them to death. It's just hard for me sometimes which I think is understandable considering the circumstances. Thanks to the pizza and wine and movie though because I am in a bad mood no longer and hope it stays that way for a long time :-) :-)

The second thing that got me to thinking about friendships, family and the importance of them is that my friend and I went over to one of our classmates house the other night. She had just lost a loved one and is typically one of the most bubbly, sweetest and fun people I know. However, for the past week she had not been looking very happy at all. So when I saw her looking sad I immediately began to wonder what I can do to bring a smile to her face. It's in my nature to want to help people who are not in the best of situations. I don't know why, but it just comes natural to me ( Im sure I get that from my Mama). I wouldn't be me if I didn't always want people to smile. So anyway one of my classmates Rachel Sparks Miller ( yes I had to give her a shout out :-) ) mentioned that she was going over to help her cook food for her grandfather so he could freeze them and have them whenever and not have to worry about cooking; especially after losing his significant other. I automatically knew this was my way to help because hello anyone who knows me knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE to cook especially for other people :-). So Rachel and I went over and just laughed and helped to cook different foods that she told us he would like and made jokes and of course had a lil bit to drink and even studied some anatomy. It was definitely a strange mix of events, but at the end of it all there was a huge smile on her face and that was what was important. Her two room-mates even came down and joined in on the fun. Situations and circumstances like these are so dear to my heart because at times when you feel you have no one because your family and friends are so far away, you can find new friends that share the same stresses & experiences as you and quickly consider them as your new family away from family. Such a refreshing thought to me :-)

Both of these situations just made such a difference for me & changed my less than desirable mood I was in. Every moment, whether good or bad, is so worth it for me. The devil can never get me so far down that God can't find a way to pick me right back up. Sigh...I sure wonder how people live and survive without faith.

If you are asking yourself what does this have to do with PA school, well Ill tell you like this. Shenandoah's program or any program for that matter, is impossible to pass and remain happy unless you find at least one other person in the program that you can count on when you need them. PA school is about much more then learning knowledge about anatomy and disease states and pharmacology. PA school is a life lesson that teaches you about yourself and about others, way more than a book alone could ever teach you!!!....

Tune in again for the next one :-)......TOODLES!....

Stay tuned for Halloween pictures :-)

Taneisha

P.S. I'm so excited that alot of people including a few family members have told me that they read my blog...Oh my watch out I'm on my way to my own reality TV series. Round 2: My life as a PA student AGAIN lol haha :-).....Hey a girl can dream right :-)