Paroled

It was on a train trip to Toronto 6 years ago that my dear man announced to me that he would be throwing his hat in the ring for a term as Obstetrical Chief, after years of promising that he would never consider the position. This was on the heels of a four year commitment to the Medical Advisory Committee, trying to juggle our crazy busy practice, travelling to China and adding a new Pattinson to the mix. He admitted that the train was the ideal place to break the news to me because I was unlikely to run screaming from a train, I was nicely plied with alcohol in the first class car, and I probably wouldn't make a public spectacle in the close quarters. I knew he was probably the right guy for the job and he would make positive changes in his department but I didn't relish the thought of his time away from us, his family.

Today is his last day as Chief having completed a 6 year sentence, countless meetings and negotiations, racing from clinic to the hospital, mediating disagreements, giving time-outs, suffering too many sleepless nights, but he has in my opinion, been a dedicated zoo keeper. He has managed all of these extra responsibilities while having to deal with my old fashioned opinions that hospitals are top heavy in administration and health care workers would do a better job taking care of patients rather than creating new committee's and checklists.

So tonight we welcome him back home, without a briefcase of administrative work to do, to share in the trick-or-treat celebrations and let him know that a few things have changed around here in the last 6 years:

We've adopted another daughter, renovated the house 3 times, the kitchen twice, moved offices, and bought a time-share in Florida. There are 6000 items on the honey-do list, we've acquired 2 more schnauzers and a jaguar, a mom van on its third set of tires; we're on the swim team, gymnastics and piano classes, and weight lift 4 times a week. I've been red, grey, blonde, white and now too tired to do my roots.

Some things will be unchanged...he will still have to mediate disagreements, give time-outs, suffer sleepless nights, and race from place to place...thanks to a couple of kids, dogs, a tempermental jaguar and a wife with white roots. Welcome home dear man. We are proud of you.