Reminiscing

I go through periods where I am burned out, where I absolutely cannot stand to talk to one more owner, to look at one more infected ear, to find one more sewer mouth, to tell one more person "yeah, we actually do have fleas here in the high desert despite what Dr. I'vebeeninpracticefor100years told you."

But right now, I'm feeling great. I'm motivated, excited and I feel like working hard to grow the business. Part of it, I think, is experiencing the application-to-vet-school process with a few of my technicians. It's making me remember what I went through, including the extremely hard work, the networking, the conversations, the sleepless, tear-filled nights... and that was just with trying to get accepted to a vet school - any vet school! Vet school itself was one of the most difficult undertakings of my life. Women all around me were getting married and having babies when I was educating myself, working to improve my brain and my life and to put myself in a position of always being able to take care of myself, no matter what. It was a difficult choice to do something everyone else was not doing (anyone can have babies; not anyone can go to vet school!) but one I never regret.

I have been thinking about how lucky I am. I am part of a very small, elite group of professionals who are blessed enough to become veterinarians. There was a time in my life when I just could not fathom doing anything else; and I still can't. I was born to do this, born to do nothing else. I worked so damned hard to get here, and sometimes I have to stop and remember everything that happened along the way. It does help with the burnout phases.

I've recently been back into contact with an old friend of mine who helped me get into vet school. He didn't do anything difficult for me, he wasn't a professor of mine or a close personal friend at that time, but he saw something in me when I was in my late twenties that made us bond as mentor and student even though I've never actually worked under him. To this day, I am certain that the letter of recommendation he wrote for me on my vet school application helped get me in. I could be wrong; but I feel it to be true and I am thankful even now, and it was 11 years ago when he wrote it! (for those of you in the know, he's a pretty important guy at Heska - make sense now? :) )

I am hopeful for my girls, but I also realize the path they are choosing and how long it is. My sis recently gave me a quote that is sooo true: "The path of least resistance leads to a longer road." These girls have a long road anyway, but I do believe it's a shortcut to do what you dream of doing and to do it well. And that path is never easy.

But look where it got me. :)