A box of memories

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Who knew that a simple box found in the attic could produce such a flood of memories?

But there it was on the dining room, hauled down from the attic by my husband. The tape was brown with age and scribbled on the lid was the word "coins," indicative of what had been stored within. It had been decades since I laid eyes on that box.

Back in the day, we opened many of those Medtronic Intersept filtered cardiotomy reservoir boxes as we prepared for cardiopulmonary bypass. It was integral to providing safe and effective cardiovascular support for our patients back in the 1980s.

I miss those days when the rush of an emergency case sent boxes and packaging flying in every direction. I miss the camaraderie between members of our heart team that made our work smooth, efficient, and pleasant. I miss the constant effort to improve our practice through evidence-based research. And yet, here I am, not having slapped the wall plate to open wide those operating room doors for the last 17 years or so.

But as much as I miss all those things, my 25 years of clinical practice prepared me for what followed: teacher, athletic coach, athletic chaplain, mentor, career coach, consultant, author, and speaker.

I am reminded that my identity is not in WHAT I am. My identity rests in WHOSE I am. Each position is of equal importance because I must reimagine my work as "a mission of service to something beyond merely our own interests...thinking of work mainly as a means of self-fulfillment and self-realization slowly crushes a person...and undermines society itself." (From "Every Good Endeavor" by the late Timothy Keller)

I think fondly about my years inside chilly operating rooms, working in concert with a team of dedicated professionals. Nevertheless, from my years of experiencing many facets of life, it is now my joy to assist students, athletes, coaches, and business professionals in making the most of whatever their position happens to be because "no task is too small to hold the immense dignity of work given by God."

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