Today has been one of the most insightful days of my life. I learned about my family history after talking with my grandmother. I learned about the secrets that were kept about our immigration to the US and many more. I learned about the ongoing hidden worries and wishes that my Grandma has. This lead me to talk to other family members. We never really had that deep a connection that we wanted, but were afraid to bring up out of fear of vulnerability. We all had a heart to heart and although the conversations were insightful, it is only the beginning of the work that I will have to do in my family relationships.
This has inspired not only my personal life but my work and deeper meaning to life on the philosophical level. I am now driven with goals not only in my personal but also professional life as an occupational therapist. I am dedicated to advocating and advancing the field of occupational therapy and healthcare for our community.
I want to leave this earth having made an impact (big or small) that can affect people’s lives either directly or inspire them indirectly.
There is still a lot of work to be done and an endless list of projects I want to do for OTDUDE and whatever future projects I plan to pursue. I am thankful for my family and the OT community, one of the best ones in terms of being supportive and uplifting each other. I intend to give back and pay it forward however I can to OT. It will be a journey of learning, mistakes, risks, and growth. But I am excited to be able to embark on this journey with my family, friends, followers, and future relationships — real or virtual.
Thank you to my followers for your support. I take the time to read all of your e-mails and respond because I know it can have an impact and ripple effect on anyone’s life.
I wish you all the best – stay positive, be patient, and find or remind yourself of your “Why”.
Jeff, OTDUDE