It’s 6:37 am in southern Michigan on Saturday, July 26th. The Huarus’ are settled at home with their son, Asif, who has returned from MSIH for the summer after completing his first year of medical school.
“Honey, you haven’t touched your porridge” his mother observes.
Asif shrugs. He’s been at a loss for words lately and, now, just stares out the window.
It was all a dream; a fantastic and unexpected year filled with adventure and curious enlightenment into subjects he had no idea he was interested in. The world of medicine was unfolding at his feet and, even now, after swearing that he would take as much time away from any medical literature or online study stimulants as physically possible, he finds himself up at night on Medscape, trying to stay relevant and an important piece of medical knowledge.
Now, he’s feeling the hangover.
“I miss my friends” he sighs.
Asif could never have expected the new connections he made. The desert of Beer Sheva somehow became an island where 37 people, all of different origin, came together to start a family. He remembers the first days when Merrick came forth and expressed the need for openness with each other and encouraged all to go above and beyond in introductions and class bonding. He recalls intimate lunch time meditation sessions and invigorating yoga dances. He salivates overs the first potlucks and the incredible Yom Kippur break-fast that his class shared at Judy’s apartment. Asif even remembers hearing of the joyous weekend spent camping at the beach along with upper classmen as his friends sang, danced and swam until late at night when the sky lit up with heavenly candy.
Now he chuckles, because the countless, hazy post-exam celebrations spent at the Poka come to life, where and he friends would scream at each other until blue in the face as to how to properly treat a man who has eaten too much rancid bear meat. The feast would then move to beautiful Gimel where a commotion and ruckus would continue into the early hours at the extravagant house of Jane and Jane or the penthouse de Armand and Joseph. Even more exciting was sharing his first ever piece of poetry at a merry night in the old city with the entire school present, each showing off their hidden talents and celebrating each other’s creativity and boldness.
And the bravery. He marvels at the strong women of his class and their epic performance of The Vagina Monologues, nodding his head at their commitment to making women feel accepted and empowered. Or the class trips, like a visit to immigration centers that those courageous enough went to on their own accord to understand the future of Israel’s population concerns. Yes, the community he found in Beer Sheva was more beautiful than he could have imagined.
A smile crosses his face, because he knows he has grown and flourished as a person. Once a competitive and boastful student, Asif stands more humble in his knowledge, no doubt having to do with the creed he and his classmates wrote together and swore to as one just a year ago on a proud and earth moving event that his parent watched from miles away.
Although Asif would love nothing more than to return to the prosperous life he lived in Israel, he understands that the past cannot be revisited. No, the coming year will not be the same as the last and he is sad to see it done. Time moves forward insistently and the mind is taken from itself. Is the excitement finished already?
Suddenly, though, as a soft summer breeze blows through the room, Asif is renewed. “But what will August bring?” he asks himself. “Who will I be this year? What new challenges will I face as a rising doctor?” Although things change, we all know as students that our education has only just begun. Yes, we have only completed the introduction to the coming light that will continue to illuminate the yellow brick road that has gotten our class this far. How lucky we are to continue this adventure!
After breakfast, Asif returns to his room, practices his daily gaga routine that he picked up from Jenny and Maryland and sits at his desk with a pen and paper. He wants his to colleagues to know how much this year has meant to him and hopes that the following letter will suffice. He writes:
To the MSIH Class of 2017,
We have spent this year creating the unwavering foundation to a structure that we will continue to build together throughout our medical education and careers. There is no one else with whom I would rather lay brick by brick for the rest of my days as we strive for excellence and thirst for knowledge together. Thank you for continuing to provide the inspiration, support and nourishment that has made the 2013-2014 academic year the most memorable educational experience of my life.
Yalla 2014-2015!
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