End Notes
Families
By Sarah Pugh Brandt, M.D.
Tired, frazzled parents bring their kids to me,
Concerns about development and discipline.
The science of treating infections.
The art of healing insecurities.
My dear med school friend laughs bitterly,
“Guess who’s the topic of the tumor conference?”
Chemo protocols. Palliative care.
Physician, heal thyself.
Amish father with three daughters in our ICU.
Church-bound buggy struck by a drunk driver.
A pupil blown on my watch.
This father calmly said, “It’s God’s will.”
Colleagues share stories of illness and cure,
Battles over reimbursement,
Family histories of sorrow and miracles.
Laughter as a balm.
Four-year-old twin boys, my flesh and blood.
Earnest questions about my time away.
“Mama, did you help any sick babies today?”
I hope so.
Sarah Pugh Brandt is a pediatrician at Southdale Pediatric Associates.