There are the milestones that we have to learn in paediatrics (haven't had my classes for that yet, but have been informed on what to look forward to), and there are the milestones we all know about. The latter set of milestones are arbitrary points in life, with no specific landmark in time, that indicate how far we have come, the things we have accomplished, how well we maintain relationships and whether we have changed for better or for worse.
These milestones include schooling, graduating from college, getting a good job, getting married, having children, leading a stable family life, giving the children a stable and caring environment, providing them with a good base for a stable future, retirement, grandchildren, the list keeps going. Ordinarily, these milestones seem easy to accomplish, and why worry that they won't?
But when I think about it, there are so many things that can go wrong on this path, and any detour can lead to a loss of confidence or a stigma is associated with it. Graduating from college may be delayed due to shortage of credits. Obtaining a job may not happen as soon as one would like. One may find the love of their life, but cannot get married, or they get divorced. Infertility issues or the loss of a child can affect a couple's lives. Continuous migration or instability of jobs and finances create less opportunities for a stable growing environment for children. Retirement may not occur in certain fields, due to the invaluable experience of the older workers (medicine is such a field). Will one live to see their grandchildren? Will one stay in touch with their children to get to know their grandchildren?
We all blindly believe that these are the things that are guaranteed to happen in our life. Granted, we even try to plan out when exactly each milestone should take place, but how sure are we that each and every event we plan out, works in our favour?
I guess it is when one hears about events like those that I have mentioned, they strive to not get into the same position. They work hard to stay true to the path they have set for themselves, and despite the turns that lie ahead, they hope that in the end, they achieve what they have always wanted.
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
These milestones include schooling, graduating from college, getting a good job, getting married, having children, leading a stable family life, giving the children a stable and caring environment, providing them with a good base for a stable future, retirement, grandchildren, the list keeps going. Ordinarily, these milestones seem easy to accomplish, and why worry that they won't?
But when I think about it, there are so many things that can go wrong on this path, and any detour can lead to a loss of confidence or a stigma is associated with it. Graduating from college may be delayed due to shortage of credits. Obtaining a job may not happen as soon as one would like. One may find the love of their life, but cannot get married, or they get divorced. Infertility issues or the loss of a child can affect a couple's lives. Continuous migration or instability of jobs and finances create less opportunities for a stable growing environment for children. Retirement may not occur in certain fields, due to the invaluable experience of the older workers (medicine is such a field). Will one live to see their grandchildren? Will one stay in touch with their children to get to know their grandchildren?
We all blindly believe that these are the things that are guaranteed to happen in our life. Granted, we even try to plan out when exactly each milestone should take place, but how sure are we that each and every event we plan out, works in our favour?
"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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