i passed!

today was the oral part of my general exams. i passed! i had four committee members who asked me questions. i was told it would be more like a conversation but it felt like q and a to me. they asked questions, i answered. they asked me what brought me to this point, what i learned in the coursework (which is a huge question), go through my capstone, rationale, how i see myself as a system leader, my areas of influence. there was a question where i almost got teary eyed but stopped myself. it was a question on the areas of influence and how community fit into my picture. i then said my community includes my family and my family's experiences. then i thought of matthew just for a moment and his illness and experience with health care.

david my boss was there and it was a bit challenging to have your boss there while you're being grilled. i didn't want to say the wrong thing, or imply anything. he was so proud of me and he even announced it to the students at the AAMN meeting. i was pretty happy.

after the exam, i went to Piatta at the U Village and had a late lunch (this was 330 by then), had a margarita and celebrated by myself. i hadn't eaten all day so it was nice to relax. i did get a little sad, seeing that i had no one to share the good news with. i couldn't stop crying while i was eating so i went to the restroom and cried. then i composed myself and went back out to continue lunch. i was ok after that but it's just those moments that make me really miss my husband. i did write allen since i hadn't heard from him in a while and mailed our absentee ballots and got a card for Amen's wedding.

today was a great day!