Apr
25
i’m home
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Well, after an entire day of traveling . . . we’re back in the good ‘ole U.S.A. I’ve not been shocked at what I’ve experienced, but have certainly noticed a few things. My first comment comparing the U.S. to my experience on Saba was in the Miami airport. We purchased some food at a little stand. I got a club sandwich. It was pretty reasonable in price and was HUGE. I had a hard time getting my mouth around it for a bite. My first comment? “Welcome to the U.S.” I didn’t see a sandwich that large my entire time on Saba.
My second comment came during our drive from the DFW airport. One lane is the width of the road on Saba. Yes, in the U.S. a car has that space all to itself. In Saba, that same space is shared by two cars traveling in opposite directions with a rock wall on either side that will tear up your car. Then, on further comparison of roads here and there, the tiny roads I thought we had in the development from which we moved felt incredibly wide.
Last night, when we laid down to go to sleep, I mentioned to Emily, “I miss the tree frogs . . . and the wind . . . and the sound of the ocean.” Sounds I have grown to love . . . sounds which lulled me to sleep each night. Exhaustion finally took over and I fell into a deep slumber, until Hannah woke me up in the morning.
This morning, I took my dogs out and decided to walk around a bit. One word. NOISE! It is so noisy here in suburbia. Saba has a peace and quiet for which I long.
I knew things were going to be different. I figured once I got back here, I’d just get back in the swing of things, but as I have a direct comparison . . . the differences are, for the time being, quite noticeable.
Apr
19
another chapter comes to a close
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When I arrived on this island I had a hard time believing I was going to live in the Caribbean for nearly two years. Now my time is up, I’m having a hard time picturing my life in a place other than Saba. This island has truly taught me many life lessons. My experiences have been wide and I’ve met so many wonderful people. This experience has truly enriched my life.
I’ve wanted to write something about how I’m feeling as I close this chapter in my life, but as I sit and think about how to put into words the experience I’ve had, it’s hard to formulate just what to say. Life in the Caribbean has certainly been interesting, and I can’t believe I’m ready to leave. I already miss the way of life to which I’ve become so accustomed. The one thing that is helping me feel excited to leave is that we have been car-less until today. Our friends have gone to St. Maarten for a week and were very kind to let us borrow their car until we leave (they secretly saved our love of the island). I think if we had been car-less for our last 10 days on the island . . . we would have left with a sour taste. The same could probably be said about anywhere we felt confined. However, I still can’t believe I’m actually saying, I’m bored. I still love the view. I still love the pace of life, but it is certainly true that a person should be anxiously engaged in a good cause. Purpose is a good thing. It helps get a person out of bed in the morning and gets them through the day. I guess I have just felt like we’re flying in a holding pattern.
I’m determined to do better with my remaining four days on Saba. I haven’t regretted any time I’ve spent on this island . . . what a shame it would be to regret the end.
Mar
31
i finally have an ally!
Filed Under emily, family, hannah, life, medicine, my little man, saba, thoughts | 2 Comments
There was actually a time a little over a year ago I jokingly threatened Emily to take her blog off the internet because she wasn’t using it very often. I’m totally pathetic. I’ve obviously been less than consistent with mine, but seriously . . . I’m going to do better. Just the other day, Emily flicked my little statement back in my face . . . “Do you want me to take down your blog? You don’t seem to be using it very much.” I guess I deserved that.
We visited St. Maarten this past weekend. The primary reason for our visit was to visit the doctor to get an ultrasound on Emily’s pregnant belly. Emily had been looking forward to this little “get away” for quite sometime. I could tell she was excited by the way she kept describing how cute Hannah would be swimming in the ocean on a beach that didn’t have an 80 foot, rock-dropping, cliff overshadowing your every move like the Saba beach. Granted, the sand was quite a bit softer than the sand found on Saba, but I love our little here-it-is now-it’s-not beach. I think the coastline of Saba is one of the reasons it can truthfully be called the “Unspoiled Queen” of the Caribbean. Who plans a vacation to an island that may or may not have a beach? Not many!
We visited the doctor and he asked what we thought we were having. When Emily was pregnant with Hannah, she started calling her a girl well before we found out. I told her I didn’t want our little kid to get a complex if it turned out to be a boy, so I called it a boy. I was wrong. Once again, Emily demonstrated how connected she is with our child and started calling this kid a boy well before we found out . . . and once again, I wanted to add a little balance to our relationship. I called it a girl. I was wrong. Maybe I’ll listen to her next time . . . then again . . .
As Dr. Tjon moved the ultrasound probe to the other side of Emily’s belly he said, “Let’s see which one of you is right.” It was the most clear ultrasound picture I think I have ever seen. We could have grabbed the guy that was stumbling in front of the hospital to read the ultrasound . . . it was unmistakable!
Just like with Hannah, I’m excited to meet this kid, and just like Emily, I don’t think I know what to do with a little boy. You see, I’ve been swimming in a sea of estrogen my entire life. Let me explain. In my family growing up, there were two boys, three girls, then me at the end. My closest brother was 12 years older than me, so you can see there was a lot of estrogen surrounding me. Then, I got married and there was balance between the hormones. The balance was short lived as we added a dog to our family . . . a female dog. A short while later we added another female dog. I was losing this battle, and quickly. We then moved to Texas to open a wedding gown store. Um, can anyone say estrogen? Loads and loads of estrogen!!! If that wasn’t enough, Emily’s sister moved in with us. Then, her friend also moved in. Let’s pause and recap. On Team Testosterone . . . me. On Team Estrogen . . . Emily, Kyaha the dog, Paris the dog, Charmain the sister-in-law, Stephanie the sister-in-law’s friend, and ALL THOSE BRIDES (oh, and their mothers, grandmothers, bridesmaids, and other girlfriends). Yeah, I was truly losing the battle. Well, Stephanie moved out, then Charmain, then we got out of our wedding gown shop. The tide was starting to shift in my favor. Of course, that couldn’t last too long. After nine years of marriage we finally got a bun in the oven . . . it turned out to be a girl! I was certainly not disappointed in the least. Hannah has been and is the greatest blessing in my life next to my sweet, darling, sassy wife. I’m amazed at how much she has added to my life. However, in terms of my lifelong battle to even out the hormones in my life, it was just another nail in the coffin.
By the way, if you’ve ever wondered what specialty I’m going to pursue in medicine . . . it will NOT (can I make that any bigger?) be OB/GYN!
I finally have some help on the way to balance the hormones in the Lesher house!
Mar
13
mmm . . . i’m gonna miss the view
Filed Under family, happiness, life, saba, school, thoughts | 1 Comment
As my time on Saba draws to a close, people keep telling me to enjoy the time I have left. I understand what they’re saying. Many, if not most, students who come to this island to study medicine view Saba like a prison . . . something akin to Alcatraz. Now, if I were in San Francisco Bay, on Alcatraz island, locked in a cell . . . I’d be counting my days to get off. I do admit, I am counting the days a bit, but it’s not with excitement to get off this “rock”. I am excited for a few things back in the States, but for the most part I’m going to miss everything about this island . . . well not everything.
Emily wrote a post about things she’s going to miss and things she’s not going to miss. Here’s my list.
Things I won’t miss:
- The so called “fast” internet they have on Saba
- Not being able to buy fruit & vegetables every day I go to the store (only once a week – if you make it to the store before everyone else)
- Sitting in a classroom all day long, with the storm shudders closed, freezing cold air conditioning blasting, sitting in a seat built for a high school student
- Not being able to see my family with a greater frequency
Things I will miss:
- The view
- The warm weather
- The view
- Sitting on my patio watching the sky (and it’s reflection in the ocean) change a million different colors as the sun goes down
- The view
- Sitting on my patio at night under a cloudless star-filled sky – truly it’s AMAZING
- The view
- The quietness of this island
- The view
- The calmness of this island
- The view
- The fact that it takes 20 minutes to drive from one end of the island to the other
- The view
- The fact that there is no traffic whatsoever (unless you count getting stuck in Windwardside for 30 seconds while everybody figures out who gets to go first at the corner by Big Rock)
- The view
- Watching the sun rise over the ocean and then being able to go to Wells Bay later that day and see it set on the ocean
- The view
- Really, there are just too many things to list – I could go on and on
- I hate to be cliché, but did I mention, the view is INCREDIBLE?!
So, I love this island and feel, as my time grows to a close, I’ve really taken advantage of pretty much every day I’ve been here. I don’t think one day has passed that I haven’t paused for a moment to appreciate THE VIEW!!! I do have to say, though, that what I treasure most about this island is the perspective it has taught me about life and family. This will have to be another post by itself, but Saba has taught me what is most important in life and how to appreciate it.
That’s St. Barths on the horizon . . . yeah, I’m gonna miss that view!
Mar
8
the inside of my head
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There’s only been one time in my life I’ve been consistent at keeping a journal. Right now, that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the other day Emily was explaining to me how she envisions her blog in the future. A record for our kids to read about the early part of their life. It will also provide a window into our lives for them to see us as something other than parents.
This conversation really got me thinking about the direction of my own blog. Although I’m currently just writing to the empty space of the internet, I’d like for it to hold some actual value and purpose . . . something other than taking up space in the nebulous world of cyberspace. That purpose, as I see it (and inspired by Emily) is a record for my children. My life as I see it.
I remember reading a few journal entries my mom wrote around the time I was born. It was really fun to peek into her mind at a time she didn’t know me. It really meant a lot to me. So, hopefully someday in the distant future, Hannah and her siblings (number to be determined) will be reading these posts and will be able to appreciate who I am as seen from a different perspective – one that’s a little closer to the inside of my head.
Feb
19
I took my fifth semester, block two exams today. It seemed kind of monumental as I thought about it. I have one block left on this island of paradise. After all the time we’ve spent on this island, our time is quickly growing to a close and I’m starting to get a little nostalgic. Emily has been talking a lot lately about how our time is growing short. In fact, just the other day we were taking a little walk down the road and she said, “You know, we don’t have too many more opportunities like this.” Step out the door, and walk down the street with a billion dollar view! It’s hard to believe our time on Saba is drawing to a close. We’ve extended our say on this island by splitting up a couple semesters and I know I’ve certainly enjoyed the extra time I’ve been able to spend with my family in the Caribbean (especially as our family and friends are getting dumped on with snow). I am excited, however, to be moving on to the next phase in our lives. The next chapter . . . a new adventure.
I’m sure in many ways, it will still be exciting as we move back to the United States, but I will alway look back on our time in the Caribbean with fondness. I’ve really tried to take the proverbial time to “smell the flowers”. The journey has certainly been sweet. I’m going to make the best of my time left!
Nov
10
saba sunrise
Filed Under emily, hannah, happiness, life | 2 Comments
I’ve always been excited to see the sun rise. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ve seen a whole bunch of them. It takes a lot to get me out of bed in the morning. I’d rather sleep until my body says, “GET OUT OF BED!” Hannah has, fortunately, changed that. It still takes a lot to get me out of bed, but she’s something else. One of the nice side benefits of having her get up anywhere between 5:30 am and 6:30 am is that I get to witness the beginning of another incredible day on this beautiful Earth. Emily recently posted some photos of a sunrise, so here’s my shot at it. I think I took around 280 pictures of the sunrise this morning. It was a spectacular experience watching the sun peak over the horizon. The colors changed constantly and the warmth of the sun gradually fell on my face as it slowly climbed out of the ocean.
What a beautiful day to be alive!
Jun
19
healthy body
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Wow! What a day. I had another round of exams today. It wasn’t pretty, but I’m getting through. I’m currently taking Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physical Diagnosis. Pathology and Pharmacology are both very difficult classes due to the shear volume of material I’m expected to internalize within a three week period of time, (the length of our blocks). Physical Diagnosis is a bit easier for me as it’s a little more hands on. It adds another mode of learning for me that I feel comes a bit easier than gleaning all my knowledge from a book. The classes have been very interesting. I’ve learned a lot, but have struggled at times with the tremendous amount of tiny details, (but I guess that’s why I grow in knowledge). The big picture has become more and more clear as my time in basic sciences has progressed. The human body is truly an amazing thing. I marvel at the way it is able to, when functioning normally, maintain our temperature, pH, and all the other inter-environmental factors in line as we go throughout our daily lives . . . not giving two thoughts to our breathing . . . or our heart beating, etc. Truly spectacular! It really makes me grateful to be healthy.
Apr
25
a life worth duplicating
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I’ve been on break since Wednesday of last week. It’s been a nice reprieve from the rigors of school. Although, I have to admit, this last semester was not as difficult as it could have been. Having split my second semester on the island when Hannah was born, this semester was a perfect load for having a family. I was able to spend some quality time with Emily and Hannah. I’ll look back on this past semester with fondness.
Yesterday, I was lounging around the house and noticed a movie was just starting. Intrigued, I watched it for a few minutes. It looked like it was set in the early 1970’s. I looked it up on TVGuide.com (yes, Emily, TVGuide.com) to see what it was. It turns out it was a movie about a guy named Steve Prefontaine named Without Limits. I wasn’t able to watch every second of the movie, but it was one of the most inspiring stories I’ve ever seen. This genre of movies, unbelievable sports stories, is full of miraculous people or teams overcoming great odds to be the best in their respective fields. The application of this man’s desire and drive reach all areas of life. He was truly an extraordinary man. In reading more about him, I came across several quotes that were very inspiring:
To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.
A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.
A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they’re capable of understanding.
I’m going to work so that it’s a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.
Someone may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.
The only good race pace is suicide pace, and today looks like a good day to die.
I think this man ended his life with few regrets. He obviously left the world wanting more. A life like this can only give hope and inspiration to those who know the story. He has certainly inspired me . . . and he died two months before I was born.
Apr
15
pride
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In keeping with my spiritual theme for writing on Sunday . . . I had the opportunity today to speak in our Sacrament service. I say “opportunity” because it truly was. Public speaking is the number one fear of people in general. Growing up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) I’ve had the opportunity to speak in front of audiences of varying sizes since I was four years old. Through no doing of my own, the fear of speaking in front of an audience isn’t something I have to deal with. Therefore, I was able to concentrate more fully on the topic for which I was preparing. How grateful I am. A couple weeks ago, while I was listening to General Conference, I had a thought enter my mind as to the topic I should address. In short . . . it was pride. My main resource for the talk I gave was a talk given by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1989 titled Beware of Pride. Another talk I used as source material for my talk was given in 1992 by Elder Dallin H. Oaks titled Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall.
While reading these talks and the scriptures, I was humbled. There are so many things I need to eliminate from my life. When preparing a talk or lesson, I always feel an unfair advantage. I always get more out of the preparation than anyone in the audience will ever gain from my presentation of the topic. Pride has truly become a device of destruction in our world. Lives, marriages, communities, and nations have fallen to the destructive force of pride. I’m going to share a few of my favorite points from Beware of Pride:
Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval. The proud love “the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Our motives for the things we do are where the sin is manifest. Jesus said He did “always those things” that pleased God. Would we not do well to have the pleasing of God as our motive rather than to try to elevate ourselves above our brother and outdo another?
This is so evident in the world around us. Co-workers going to any length in order to “look good” to their superiors. Honesty, sincerity, and integrity are replaced by a cutthroat desire to climb the ladder at any cost. Worrying about what the crowd will think if a decision made is “against the grain” leads to a loss of what truly makes us great!
Another point I loved from Beware of Pride was:
Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.
Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. The scriptures tell us that “only by pride cometh contention.†(Prov. 13:10; see also Prov. 28:25.)
This pretty much sums it up. There’s not much more I can add to that. In preparing my talk, I’ve become more resolved to eliminate the awful faces of pride from my life. I’ve experienced times in my life where I don’t think pride was prevalent and I’ve experienced times in my life where pride ruled . . . I prefer the former. We live in an incredible world . . . beautiful beyond description . . . how much greater could it be . . . without pride?
I’m going to close this entry with a scripture from the Book of Mormon. It is found in Alma 7:23:
. . . now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.
What more can I say?