June 1, 2016
Well, it’s that day again. I’m another year older (along with Morgan Freeman, Heidi Klum, Alanis Morissette and Amy Schumer). Somehow, birthdays seem to sneak up more quietly and a lot more quickly as the years go by. Though I often feel like I’m still 20 years old, I am most certainly not. But, with age comes wisdom and I definitely have the wisdom to know that getting older is way better than the alternative.
Fair warning…emotional birthday musings ahead. I have known too many people who would have given anything to live long enough to have a wrinkle or a gray hair. I know too many families who had to say goodbye far, far too soon. I have experienced a random cardiac event that would have robbed me of any future birthdays if not for my implanted defibrillator. I have way too much perspective on not celebrating a birthday rather than blowing out what seems like a lot of candles. So I’ll blow them out with a smile on my face and a grateful heart for being granted yet another year.
Rather than worry about how old I’m getting, I’ll eat another brownie made by my coworker, Jen (um…puppy chow brownies are seriously delicious), read well wishes from friends and family, enjoy a lovely dinner and reflect on the gift of another year. I’ll look forward to my tomorrows and wonder what I should do with them. I will never take another birthday for granted but instead revel in simply being here to celebrate it.
MSU researcher Cheryl Kerfeld and her team are all about creating better tomorrows for everyone. They spend their days looking to generate new sources of energy that could power the world in a healthy, sustainable way. Check out the MSUTODAY FEATURE: A more sustainable tomorrow, to learn more about the power of the sun, and the power of MSU research.
Denise Soltow Hershey dedicates her time to finding ways to give more tomorrows to people. She’s an assistant professor of nursing and family nurse practitioner whose research focuses on patients with diabetes and cancer. Read her FACULTY VOICE: Multiple approach, to learn about her work geared to helping patients have better tomorrows.
Lindsey Averill is a traditional student earning a bachelor of science in nursing. She has learned that nursing is not just another job and wants to be an advocate for patients, realizing they are holistic beings that need compassionate care. Read the Q&A with her in the STUDENT VIEW: Working with heart, hands and knowledge, to learn how she hopes to help patients have more birthdays to celebrate.
I’m sure I’m not unlike most people. While I might reflect on the past year, I’m more interested in what’s ahead. All of the tomorrows of my next year are what occupy my thoughts. My birthday wish is that they’ll be good ones. The hope of better tomorrows for everyone is what motivates Spartans to dig in, work harder, be smarter and find solutions. Who will find new energy sources? Who will seek new ways to care for patients? Who will discover countless other ways that will improve our tomorrows? Spartans Will.
Lisa Mulcrone
Editor, MSUToday
@LMulcrone
Photo by Kurt Stepnitz