So I know that today is Monday and that I’m writing this post today as opposed to yesterday, which was Sunday…my bad y’all. 😅 I was up and about pretty much all day yesterday and got back to North Carolina late last night. I was going to write the post when I got back, but I was quite tired and I wouldn’t have put a good faith effort in updating y’all about the incredible week that I just had. So I waited until this morning to do so, especially since it’s Labor Day and all. In a way, it feels like Sunday lol. And by the way, Happy Labor Day!

I spent the weekend in D.C. with my girl, where we visited a handful of the museums at the National Mall, visited a few of the monuments there, got rained on while trying to visit the White House (how fitting), ate at several D.C. dineries, and hung out with some of our old friends. Apart from spending time with our friends, the highlight of the trip was finally being able to go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture! I had been waiting almost a year to visit it because it has been so hard to get tickets for it in advance…we were only able to go because I was willing to wake up at 6:25 AM to secure same-day tickets. I’m glad I did, because what we saw in there was simply stunning. There was such an unreal collection of items in the museum that accompanied a brutally truthful account of our history. I can’t even truly begin to describe all the thoughts flooded my mind as I took in the harrowing struggles that both Africans & African-Americans experienced as a result of both the slave trade and the harsh realities of racism and discrimination. The exhibits made you realize just how insane and cruel the idea of racism is. They also repeatedly reinforced the truth of how the ridiculous construct of racial divide had been created simply to maximize the profits of greedy individuals. However, the museum also exhibited all the successes that African-Americans were able to achieve despite our struggles, which was highly refreshing. Ultimately, we were only able to visit the museum for a couple of hours, so I definitely need to make another trip back in order to really take everything in!

Before making the trip to D.C., I spent the week on the Labor & Delivery service where I continued to provide care to pregnant patients during my long yet rewarding shifts. Ever since my last post, I’ve witnessed the births of eight other individuals, most of which I lended a helping hand in delivering! Most of them were vaginal births, and two of them were via C-section. One of those C-sections resulted in the birth of twins, who now share the same birthday as me! 😄 (It was also the first C-section that I had ever seen! Scrubbing in is still a struggle though…I gotta work on that lol.) As a matter of fact, I witnessed the entrance of four newborns into this world on my birthday! Being able to witness the birth of a individual is truly a special experience, especially when it occurs on your birthday. You just feel a special type of connection to the newborn, although chances are that you’ll never see them again. Also, while running around trying to help out with births, I managed to deliver three placentas! I think it’s safe to say that I’ve already gotten used to the unusual sight of an umbilical cord and a placenta exiting a mother. 😅 However, I haven’t delivered a baby on my own yet, which is something that I plan on doing on my upcoming night shift in Labor & Delivery. Stay tuned for that!

Kept it short this time! Truth be told, I actually have to start getting my life together before tomorrow starts. I’ll be spending my time at a free health clinic in downtown Winston-Salem this week before starting night shifts on Saturday night. Yeahhh, I don’t have much of a weekend coming up. Eh, whatever. Y’all continue being great and I hope that you fully enjoy your Labor Day!

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

– Black Man, M.D.