At first, being retired was terrible, like having my hands cut off, or being a banana without a peel.
I have a skill that is still useful and vital, but now I am learning to let go, to let things flow through me, flow past me, flow through my fingers or my conscious thoughts, without grasping them.
I understand some important things about people:
Drives, needs, physiology, need for stability and need for growth.
The need for support and the need for adventure.
I understand some of the weight of different social pressures, and the need for a livable pace.
Being able to balance doing and being matters to me.
Never losing the prayerful center, the I/Thou is crucial.
Holding heart and head in balance, even though often feeling only wobble, not steady state.
St. Ignatius said we should try to always be in contemplation in action.
I see medicine as service, rather than as a platform of authority. I see we all need to continue to be useful as we are able. Every day is a new challenge in being useful in some way.
I walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in 2012, with my son Andreas. You can see our photos at "walking the Camino 2012; Martina and Andreas" at You Tube. I am writing poetry, and have published 6 small poetry books. You can get them on the Kindle, or let me know and I can mail them to you. You can send a check or pay with PayPal.
I have on You Tube my file of photos of flowers at Filoli, which are a compilation of spring blossoms in the gardens over about 5 years. I also have a couple of recordings of songs I have written, including "the Widow at Arlington."
I used to have a blog at Blogspot on Google, and am not sure if it still exists, but I transferred a few of the posts to this site when we had to make a change.
I am interested in healing, medical care and support for both patients and physicians, and spirituality. I have loved and honored my teacher Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, for her tireless support of healing and growth in doctors, through Finding Meaning in Medicine, and the Healer's Art classes.
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