One of the most favorite periods of my life was my Milwaukee time. It was instrumental in shaping who I was to become... personally and professionally. I lived on my own in a big city, ate new and strange foods, made friends completely different from any others before... and had my car stolen.
But it was the people I met while working at Columbia Hospital that have left an indelible impression on my soul. The patients and my colleagues. It's impossible to say who had the most influence. One patient suffered a horrific stroke... and gradually over time... improved to a level no one had predicted. I had the pleasure of knowing him a loooong time. He knows my kids. Well, three of them anyway. He used to say some "funny" things during therapy to regain his language skills. And when he did, his partner would say.... "There's a pearl for you." Many of those "pearls" stay with me to this day ... because of the memories associated with them.
I want to impart some "pearls" of my own to our children. Things I want them to remember about their childhoods... our lives together ... and things I want them to know about me... back before they even existed. Imagine! I had a life before them. Gasp!
So... not all of these "pearls" will be posted here ... but some of them will. Some of you may be in them. If so, it is only my intention to honor you in the place you hold in our family. And to help to give the kids both roots and wings. Sort of like Milwaukee gave me.
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