December 24, 2003 - 10:25 AM

Friends and Miracles

In 30 minutes, my mom and me are gonna drive up to Philly to pick up Phil (huh. I didn't even realize the inherent punability in that until now.); then, we all go to pick up Soph at 6:30 from Baltimore Washington Int'l, followed by dinner at our favorite Korean Restaurant in Baltimore.

I'm not sure if we'll be going to Midnight Mass, or just wait until morning for Christmas Day Mass. This is pretty much the only day of the year that I go to church anymore. Lapsed Catholic, elapsed Catholic, lost Catholic?

While my parents and I were stamping and stuffing envelopes to be sent to my dad's patients as notification of his retirement, we discussed the children who've been under his care. I asked if he had favorite patients, and he said his day was always brightened by the little ones who came in with their parents and made no fuss during the exam, were very polite, followed directions, and paid attention during the consultation. Probably because he gets so many children who scream and cry and are petulant brats.

But my mom interjected with several specific children that she adored and knew that my dad did, too. And then she told me a really touching story. A mother called one day saying that her several month's old baby was really sick, and so my mom (the receptionist) told her to bring the child in. Upon examining the baby, my dad immediately sent them to the hospital. The child eventually was moved to the shock trauma unit at University of Maryland because it wasn't breathing. On the way, the brain stopped, and the baby went into a coma.

Everyday for a week, my dad woke up at 5:30 and drove down to the hospital and prayed beside the baby, then came back to open his office at 8:30. All the doctors were worried that the baby wouldn't make it, or if it did, that she would have brain damage. My dad continued to visit her and pray several times a week. She finally, miraculously, woke up, but the doctors concluded that she would have some brain function problems.

Two years later, she continues to come to my dad's office. As a perfectly healthy, normal girl. The mother wasn't religious before they had this child, but now she goes to church. Was this a God-gifted miracle, born of my father's prayers of intercession? I don't know, but it does stir something in my heart.

*************

I had dinner Monday night with Mark and Y at Applebee's. We ate for an hour or two, then sat around for another 2 hours, just talking. Y's finally finishing up school (she did a long program where she studied Pharmacy for 3 years and law for 4 or something like that, so now she's a doctor and almost a lawyer) and will be moving to NYC this summer to take up an already-secured job (I hope that didn't jinx you, Yels). Girl looks good. She can dish it pretty well, too.

For long stretches of the conversation, I sat there and just listened. Soaked up the good times, the funny stories, the witty jibes. Every so often, a baby would cry or a kid would run around, and Y would cringe and say "God I just LOVE kids! Love 'em!" Heh. Around 9:30, some of Mark's students showed up, I don't know if it was by accident, and took residence at a booth behind him. They bought him a Shirley Temple. Y and I were weirded out by his friendly interactions with them, making sarcastic remarks about how he was "crossing a line". But, it is pretty cool how close he is with his kids, how much he cares. And, at least he makes them call him "Mr. I".

Speaking of teaching, I got my preliminary test results from the CBEST and I did very well. The essays haven't been scored yet, but on the english and math sections, out of a possible 80 (scaled score) points, I got a 79 and a 66, respectively. Considering that I'm asian, I'm elated with the english, and deeply disappointed by the math. What the hell is wrong with me? Where did my asian-ness fall to? Is it because I hang around too many white folk?

Now Listening To : The Like-...And the Like
Random Thought : I'm just kidding about that "white folk" comment. You people aren't that bad. Or dumb. *duck*

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