Reviewing

The past few weeks have been filled with writing letters to organizations and patients to announce the closing of my medical practice, sorting through 21 years of stuff and deciding what to do with it (keep, give away, sell, donate), canceling accounts (Pitney Bowes, credit card processing, yellow page ads, etc), trying to sublease the office space (as I am caught midway in my lease), getting a PO Box so journals, etc don’t come directly to my home (as we all know our data is sold to marketing), and copying records as the requests come in.

Much of this has been a review of my past 21 years.  I seem to have used my office (and the draws, filing cabinet space) to store not just professional correspondence, but also personal.  I had a couple of drawers that I routinely keep filled with cards (birthday, thank you, condolence, encouragement, just because).  I love mailing cards to family and friends.  My desk was a nice space to sit down and do this before the day began.

I have been amazed at the number of letters I have “squirreled” away in my desk drawers.  Many of these are from loved ones now dead (my mother, my old high school math teacher, a plastic surgery mentor).  Others are thank you notes from nieces and nephews who had just learned to write.  These made me smile, as they are now in high school, college, or grown with their own children.

Coping the charts bring many emotions.  I did the right thing here.  Did I miss something here?  What if I had done this one differently?  If I did this one today I would do it like this, not like that?  I would do this one the very same way.  I wonder how this one is doing. 

So many emotions in reviewing the past 21 years.