Homeowners with a mission

Yes, you read that right! As of 6:45 a.m. this morning, we are officially homeowners! Earliest.closing.ever.  It was the only time we could find that would work for the schedules of 2 realtors, 1 closing attorney getting married tomorrow, 1 medical student, and me! Phew. 


Two things to tell you: 1) We are beyond excited. 2) Don't believe anything you watch on HGTV.  Buying a home is FAR more complicated than we ever thought it would be! But we're I am already picking out paint colors, choosing fabric samples, and scouting out flea markets to start having fun creating our own little place! And yes, you're welcome to come visit!

This blog post tonight over at Christianity Today's Herm.meneutics nicely sums up the way we want our home to be: an inviting place for anyone and everyone to come, stay awhile, be encouraged, make a friend, and leave feeling cared for and loved.   Whether that's through a warm bed, a cup of coffee on the deck, or a homemade meal around our kitchen table, we've been praying that our home would be a welcome spot of reprieve for friends, neighbors, and strangers in thiscrazyworld.  Won't you stop by?


John 1:14: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish. "

Living on the edge

Urban Ministries of Durham has put together an absolutely incredible online game to help teach people how difficult it is to live as a working poor family or single parent.  Play Spent challenged all of my ideas of what it means to be poor: 


If I was poor, I'd work three jobs to cover my bills.
If I was poor, I'd cut "extras" like cable or a cell phone to take care of my family.
If I was poor, I'd find ways to improve my education and eventually get a better job.





Try playing it. I dare you. See how far you get. My first try? I only made it to Day 12 before I lost all of my money for the month, had to hang up on the collection agency, and had to skip paying for my car registration in the hopes that I didn't get pulled over. What will you face?

White Coat Ceremony

On Saturday, Brian and his classmates participated in a ceremony that has become a part of every first-year med students' experience since Columbia University held the first White Coat Ceremony in 1993.

"...the purpose of the ceremony is to clarify for students, prior to their entrance into the medical community, that a physician's responsibility is to both take care of patients and also to care for patients..."

All photos: Laura Blank, 2011

Oath of Student Responsibilities

 I acknowledge and accept the privileges and responsibilities given to me today as a physician-in-training and dedicate myself to learning to provide care to those in need.

I will approach all aspects of my education with honesty and integrity, embracing opportunities to learn from patients, teachers, and colleagues.  The diversity of their experiences, cultures, and beliefs will enrich my education and my ability to care for patients.  When I feel unprepared for new responsibilities, I will acknowledge my limitations and seek guidance.

I will respect the humanity, rights, and decisions of all patients and will attend to them with compassion and without bias.  I will maintain patient confidentiality and be tactful in my words and actions.  I will not forget that there is an art to medicine as well as a science and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding are integral to patient care.

 I recognize the privileges afforded to me as a physician-in-training and promise note to abuse them.  I will strive to earn the trust my patients place in me and the respect that society places upon my profession.  As a student, I will seek to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for individual patient care, the capacity to prevent illness, and the means to improve my community's health standards.

As I accept these new responsibilities, I will not forget the importance of my own health and well-being.  I will continue to value my relationships with those who have supported me in the past and those who will share my future.

Knowing my own limitations and those of medicine, I commit myself to a lifelong journey of learning how to cure, relieve, and comfort with humility and compassion.

I felt the power behind those words as I listened to the wide-eyed students recite this oath in front of family, friends, spouses, and professions with decades of hands-on experience caring for patients here and around the world.  And I was reminded of the incredible example of humility and compassion I have in my own mother and father who have lived their lives dedicated to helping others through their health care professions.  What a privilege to see first-hand the blessings and the challenges of medicine.  Thank you, Mom and Dad! We love you. And so proud of you, B! (You can see the rest of the photos here).

Dean William Roper, Dean of UNC School of Medicine

10 years later...

I remember waking up that morning in my college apartment on K Street, and turning on NBC's TODAY Show like I did every morning.  Only that morning was different.  As I sat and watched the news unfold, saw the towers fall, and walked slowly into campus in the heart of Washington, D.C., life - and the world as we knew it until that morning - had dramatically changed.  

Laura Blank, Maine, 2010

To honor the memory of those who gave their lives that day, I listened as the names were read, one by one, at Ground Zero this morning.  And I watched this moving tribute to a young man named Welles Remy Crowther, the "man with the red bandana," who gave his life to help at least a dozen other people to safety.  Welles was the nephew of a teacher at my high school in Ohio, and this powerful story of bravery, duty, and love moved my heart on this day, ten years later.  We will never forget.