The story goes back a ways. I was going out of my OT after completing all scheduled operations. Another team of gynecologists was going in for an emergency case. When I went to change from my scrub suit into my street clothes, I found my clothes thrown or fallen down from the hook in the wall where I had hung them. There were a girl's clothes on that hook. I was upset that someone had thrown my clothes down to put up her own clothes there.
"Whose clothes are these?" I asked.
"Mine" said a resident doctor coming forward. She was posted in another unit.
"Why did you throw down my clothes and hang yours there?" I asked.
"I am sorry" she said. "I did not know they were your clothes."
"You should not throw down ANYONE's clothes, not just mine" I said.
"Yes, Sir" she said.
I hoped I had taught her something other than Gynecology and Obstetrics. She qualified subsequently in due course and went away. Before going away, she came to see me once. After we talked about her future plans, she said,
"Sir, I want to say that you remind me of Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's Fountainhead."
"Thank you" I said.
She was young enough to be my daughter. But she seemed to have a maturity beyond her age, and she could speak her mind without inhibition. She went away after I wished her all the best. Five or six years passed. Then she came back again for getting a duplicate of her log book from her residency days signed by me.
"What are you doing now?" I asked. She would have settled down by then, I thought.
"I am a consultant in a corporate hospital in my home town" she said. "But I want to do something better. There is no scope for development in corporate hospitals. I am there because my parents stay there."
"Um...forgive me for saying this" I said. "I thought you would be married and settled by now."
"I am thinking of that too. But there is my career to think of" she said.
Then I could not help saying what I would have said to my daughter if I had one. "I think you should balance your career and family life. If you pursue your career dreams alone, one day you will reach the top and suddenly realize that life has slipped by. At the end you need to have happiness from having lived a good life too."
"Yes" she said and thought briefly. "I want your blessings" she said suddenly.
"You always have my blessings" I said a little awkwardly. I am always awkward when I am asked to bless someone.
"I want your blessings" she repeated and proceeded to bend down to touch my feet. We have this custom in India where blessings are sought from elders and teachers by touching their feet.
"Please don't touch my feet" I said even more awkwardly. I held my hand above her head and said "you have my blessings" hoping that would satisfy her and she would stop touching my feet.
Then she did something unexpected. She looked up, found my hand in the air above her head, grabbed my wrist and put my palm on top of her head. Then she let go of my wrist, happy that she had got my blessings the way blessings are given. I always thought I could think fast, and usually could read people's minds. This student of mine had stumped me totally. She went away to pursue her dreams.
I hope my blessings are strong enough at least this one time and she gets whatever she wants from life.
"Whose clothes are these?" I asked.
"Mine" said a resident doctor coming forward. She was posted in another unit.
"Why did you throw down my clothes and hang yours there?" I asked.
"I am sorry" she said. "I did not know they were your clothes."
"You should not throw down ANYONE's clothes, not just mine" I said.
"Yes, Sir" she said.
I hoped I had taught her something other than Gynecology and Obstetrics. She qualified subsequently in due course and went away. Before going away, she came to see me once. After we talked about her future plans, she said,
"Sir, I want to say that you remind me of Howard Roark in Ayn Rand's Fountainhead."
"Thank you" I said.
She was young enough to be my daughter. But she seemed to have a maturity beyond her age, and she could speak her mind without inhibition. She went away after I wished her all the best. Five or six years passed. Then she came back again for getting a duplicate of her log book from her residency days signed by me.
"What are you doing now?" I asked. She would have settled down by then, I thought.
"I am a consultant in a corporate hospital in my home town" she said. "But I want to do something better. There is no scope for development in corporate hospitals. I am there because my parents stay there."
"Um...forgive me for saying this" I said. "I thought you would be married and settled by now."
"I am thinking of that too. But there is my career to think of" she said.
Then I could not help saying what I would have said to my daughter if I had one. "I think you should balance your career and family life. If you pursue your career dreams alone, one day you will reach the top and suddenly realize that life has slipped by. At the end you need to have happiness from having lived a good life too."
"Yes" she said and thought briefly. "I want your blessings" she said suddenly.
"You always have my blessings" I said a little awkwardly. I am always awkward when I am asked to bless someone.
"I want your blessings" she repeated and proceeded to bend down to touch my feet. We have this custom in India where blessings are sought from elders and teachers by touching their feet.
"Please don't touch my feet" I said even more awkwardly. I held my hand above her head and said "you have my blessings" hoping that would satisfy her and she would stop touching my feet.
Then she did something unexpected. She looked up, found my hand in the air above her head, grabbed my wrist and put my palm on top of her head. Then she let go of my wrist, happy that she had got my blessings the way blessings are given. I always thought I could think fast, and usually could read people's minds. This student of mine had stumped me totally. She went away to pursue her dreams.
I hope my blessings are strong enough at least this one time and she gets whatever she wants from life.
