My Lifelong Childhood

"Flocks of the memories of the day draw near                the dovecoat doors of sleep"                                   Alice Meynell (1847-1922) I am often asked how I remember all the little and trivial details of my life to write this blog.  Oddly enough, much of it comes from dreams.  I've always been a great sleeper and, at times, it is during these periods of slumber that these memories come racing through my mind.  If I have the wherewithal, I will suddenly awaken and reach for the little red notebook I keep next to my side of the bed and jot down a few salient words to jog my memory the next day.   The alternative is to wake the next morning and just hope I remembered my dream, a technique that often meets with failure.  The paring process of the brain that comes with aging can often be merciless and frustrating. ...

The primal duties shine aloft like stars; The charities that soothe, and heal, and bless, Are scattered at the feet of man, like flowers.                    William Wordsworth (1770-1850) Giving Back Growing up, I was taught the value of participating in community more by example than by teaching.  Even though I only knew my grandfather Mayer for a few short years, I knew he was not only a joiner but a leader.  From his activity in fund-raising for charities, serving on the draft board in World War I, working for our state's government, leading drives to sell war bonds in World War II, being a life-long Rotarian, Mason,  being elected to lead the American Optometric Association, and probably plenty of other activities I have no knowledge of, he set a pretty high bar for the family.  That all ended in 1948 when he passed away.  My dad took up some of his father's calling by choosing, in a much quieter ...

"Every gift of noble origin is breathed upon by Hope's perpetual breath."                               William Wordsworth (1770-1850) It's the last day of 2018 and I've been searching for my muse, a creative inspiration to continue my writing.  She comes into and out of my life but, while she's still here, I will continue to share my memories (while I still have them!!!) Around the time of our son approaching his sixth birthday, I had feelings of complacent satisfaction without breaching the threshold for smugness.  We were living in our little home, a family of three.  Work was going well for me as it was at Citicorp for Suzanne where she had begun to go up the corporate ladder in the Student Loan Business.  I had achieved my life goal of practicing medicine and she, her MBA in Finance.  Our house was fairly modest and we were living within our means.  We had good frien...

"Oh, This is a Happy Day..."                       Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)             The years following our son Marc's birth were, in my memory, relatively peaceful and enjoyable ones.  Suzanne and I were now learning to become parents.  Our days ended with reading bedtime stories, even at his very early age.  As he became verbal, the end of the storybook would always be followed by his demanding "one more".  Eventually, he began to read on his own to his own enjoyment and our amazement.      He was a curious little fellow, fascinated by his surroundings.  I shared with him my love of airplanes and we would frequently head to the airport to watch planes land and take off, as I described to him all the different types of planes.  He was also very humorous and liked to get a laugh out of people, even as a very young child.  I remember whe...

"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children."                                                               Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) For the most part, the specialty of Pediatrics is a joyful one.  Those of us fortunate and honored to practice it are met, on a daily basis with humor, wide-eyed curiosity, authenticity and honesty.  Lucky are we who earn the trust of families as we guide them through the nurturing and growth of a young life towards becoming a responsible and healthy adult, hopefully, one with competence and confidence.  Getting up in the morning knowing that, for the most part, this will be your day reminds me of the words of that famous pugilist and philosopher, Muhammad Ali: "Children make you want to start life over!" Getting to know a newborn in ...