my new job.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to begin working as a hospice nurse. I started out working just once a week and continued my job in oncology, but a few weeks ago a full-time position opened up and I decided to leave Emory. It didn't feel sudden, it was over the course of a couple of months, and the way everything fell into place really affirmed to me that it was a good decision! I will be mostly in homes, with the patients and caregivers one-on-one. I will be working 8-5 for the first time ever!  While there is a lot that I'm excited about with this new job, there are things that I miss about my old one.

I have been reflecting over how much I have learned over the past few years at Emory. I could never list everything if I tried. There is something very formative about a person's first "real job".  I learned:

How to wake up and be in my car on the way to work in 10 minutes flat.

How to think about at least 26 things at once and be able to mentally prioritize all of these. 

How many different types of personalities there are! Not everyone is just like me (shocking, I know!) Many times my first impression of people was completely off. I've learned to pause before judging someone and get to know them.

How listening more and talking less is always better.
How to remain calm when nothing around me is calming.

I have learned that everyone is carrying a heavy burden of some kind.

.... Not that I have perfected these things, but I have definitely grown. Looking back, I learned them slowly, making a lot of mistakes along the way. I have been humbled many times. I'm reminding myself of that as I step into this next season and I keep on learning. I want to become the kind of person who reminds everyone around me that there is hope and beauty in this world. I want to lay my own heavy burdens at the feet of Jesus every day and help make others' a little bit lighter.

I don't have a lot of pictures from my job at Emory (this is a good thing, believe me!).

But I love this one that was taken on Christmas Eve last year. It was a fun way to spend my Christmas. I have been blessed to get to work with such an awesome group of people. I will always love my 7E girls!!!

Here's to growing, stretching, and new seasons of life!