


Ahhhhh happy happy joy joy! After years of seeing her nose stuck in a book (especially the book about anatomy and the human reproductive system hmmmm.....), my sister, Leigh, took the August 2008 Physicians board exam and passed! She was still in Cebu while we were waiting for the exam results and this is how our phone conversation went:
Honey: Hewooow Panot!
Leigh: TE!!! THE RESULTS ARE OUT!!!
Honey: Huh?!! Wait, let me open the site (hands trembling and barely hitting the right keys)
Leigh: Do you see it?
Honey: Wait! Wait! The results page server is crashing, I can't open the page!!
Leigh’s other phone rings and I can hear her talking to her friend and classmate Abigail:
Leigh: Hello Gail? Is it there? Is my name there?
Honey: (screaming) Ask for your name!!!
Leigh: Caragos? C A R A G O S?
Honey: (jumping up and down) IS YOUR NAME THERE??!! Weeeeeeee… IS IT?!! IS IT??!!
Leigh: (back to talking to me) My name’s in the list!!
Honey: Leilani?!! Is that an official list?!!!
Leigh: (calls Abigail again) Gail?? Is that really my name? Hehehehe .. Just making sure
Leigh: Te … it's really my name!
Honey: (Screaming … runs to mom and dad’s room) MAAAA!!!! PAAAAA!!!!
Honey: (hands phone to mom and calmly says) Ahem ….. Talk to the DOCTOR!
For days, I could barely sleep as we were waiting for the results to come out. On day 3 after her last exam, I was checking on the net every hour on the hour for the results. I guess, the excitement has sprung out of the fact that I have seen how hard Leigh worked to get to this point and I know how important this is for as she has been dreaming of this very moment every since she was a kid.
When we would play our usual childhood games then, she would give me those “nips” chocolates as my “pills” (ohhhh so that’s why my sugar level is high ..hmmm) and would examine each and every family member with her plastic stethoscope. Her dream of becoming doctor was further fueled after our grandma, Lola Deling, passed away and was unrelenting in wanting to really finish what she started while she was an intern at the provincial hospital. Her decision was irrevocable and the best we could do was support her every step of the way.
We all cried out of sheer happiness when we heard the news. Dad, mom, ate Minnie, kuya Kurt and I. Hey, our baby is finally a doctor. We never had doubts about her passing the board as we knew she studied for it, she had the passion and she had so much faith and trust in the Lord for guidance and peace of mind.
Yeah, that ‘lil kid who fell off her bike and chipped off her tooth, the little kid who annoyed me day and night (and up to this point annoys me) by going to my room and saying “whatcha duin?,” that little kid who played Barbie and family computer games, the little kid who recited "if God should go on Strike" and "Boa Constrictor," our youngest sibling, is now starting her life as a professional. A “doctowa” as how our 2 year old niece, Carmi, would call her. She still has a long way to go and more hurdles to tackle but as what we always say it is “one step at a time” Next step … residency. Kaya mo yan Leigh!!!! We love you and we are so happy for you!!!
That’s a nice advertising spiel by one multi-vitamin product here in the Philippines. Makes me think though, what can really make us think we’re complete? Who puts the imagery in our heads that if you don’t have that specific aspect in your life, you lack something? Here’s a rundown on what I have now that makes me say I’m complete:
Family
Friends
Faith
A job that I love
Good health
Laughter
Fine, I didn’t put a romantic relationship (yet) as part of the list. The “friends” part will take care of that eventually. *wink* Hihi. On a serious note, I did think that all was complete for me till one recent fateful day, I once again serendipitously found a piece in the puzzle of life that made me re-think my completeness as somehow, it feels that my day is no longer what it’s supposed to be without this one certain event to happen in my day. Too much of a mystery, you say? I’m just posting my mundane ramblings here. I’m just thankful for this new found “completeness.” I’d love to add this in my rundown above but … not just yet.