These last two years have been very eventful, difficult, and
joyous. Just to give you a brief recap and catch you up to speed, here are some
of the things that went down since we last talked.
I graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing, passed the NCLEX (nursing board exam to officially become a
nurse), got accepted to several prestigious Nurse Graduate programs, and had a
bugger of a time deciding which one to attend. In the end, I decided. (with the
help of the Lord and my loved ones) I accepted an offer to attend the
University of Tennessee, in particular, their Graduate Medical campus located
in Memphis Tennessee.
I also visited one of my ancestral homelands with my family,
yes I know I don’t look it, but in fact, I am some small fraction native
Hawaiian. Put that with all my other ancestry and you get one fine-looking dude
(I am joking if you couldn’t tell, not about the Hawaiian part of course)
(Check out the headphones over the hood, the epitome of sexy
right there)
All jokes aside, I look like this whenever I am not in
scrubs or my white coat. Usually comfy, with either a baseball hat, headphones,
or both on.
I am currently working as a nurse on an Acute Hematology and
Oncology unit (Blood and Cancer, so usually we have bone marrow and stem cell transplant
patients).
Memphis is an interesting city, to say the least. Although I
have yet to love it like Utah or Cleveland, I am hoping it will grow on me at
least a little. Granted once my schooling is done, I will be getting the heck
out of dodge.
Alrighty a whole lot of other things have happened since I
last posted, but that update will do for now. So on to what brings me to
posting.
To think a family has had to live three years without their
baby boy is heartbreaking. This sets up the background for the thoughts that
are inundated in my mind currently. Happiness and Hardships. These two things
are so insufferably connected it still surprises each of us. Our hardships can
bring us some of our happiest moments. I can’t quite explain how exactly, but
they do. If we use our hardships to propel us forward, whether that is through
changing ourselves, running after our dreams, or learning to make the best of
the incredible lives we are given (even and maybe, especially when they can be
brutal), it can lead to amazing happiness.
For example, my recent adventures here in Memphis. I honestly
can say that upon arrival and even a little still I did not like this city at
all. I found it not at all what I had hoped. It was so unlike Cleveland which I
fell in love with very quickly. Memphis has been hard on me, incredibly so in
fact. Yet as time goes on I realize that this city, just like Cleveland may
very well be a life-changing place for me. I don’t know in what ways, but all I
can do is try to make the best of the hardships and find the happiness.
As I reflect on my transplant every day and even more so at this
time of year I remember fond memories and excruciating ones. Perhaps one more example
to help me better express my thoughts and feelings. I remember not long after
my transplant as I was recovering in the hospital, the girl I was dating at the
time would often come spend copious amount of time with me in the hospital.
On this particular day, I was having a very hard time. Anyways, I remember her
walking in and chatting with my family for a second and then sitting down in
the chair next to my bed, smiling at me, and grabbing my hand. It was a simple
gesture, truthfully, something most couples do almost absentmindedly. Yet as
she sat there and just held my hand while talking with my parents it touched my
very soul. I felt like I was barely hanging on, failing at every turn, yet a
simple gesture by someone I loved managed to give me just enough strength and happiness
in a hard moment to push through.
Now I am not saying that you have to have hardships to be
happy. Or that every hardship will always bring immense happiness. Rather if we
let it, and we use them to our advantage our hardships CAN bring happiness. It
is still a choice, we still have to choose to be happy. Sometimes that choice
is as easy as breathing, other times it is as impossible as sprouting wings and
taking flight. Regardless, let us make it easier for all those around us to
choose happiness, even and especially in hardships.
I could truthfully talk for way too long about this and
really anything else I feel passionate about. Well, if you get to know me well enough,
I can talk about anything for way too long, so to avoid that I will wrap up.
(what can I say, I love the sound of my own voice).
Three years down and hopefully many more to come. Yet if this
is my last year, know that I have already been blessed with more years than I
deserved, and I cannot tell you enough how much I owe it all to so many of you.
Keep living, keep chasing your dreams, make bucket lists, and do those “special
occasion” type things now, for today can be a special occasion, it’s all about
how you look at it.
Keep it real my peoples, until next time.
