Nowadays, Facebook sends us daily notifications of memories we have from the past. I love it. As a diligent documenter of events on Facebook, it’s really nice to reminisce about posts and photos from the past. Especially my kids and, of course, my thoughts over the course of time. Interestingly, I am still the little Hulk at heart. Lying still in the body of Edna. Ha ha. In fact, WordPress is also doing the same thing, which I find useful as I go through my old posts and see if my voice of reason has changed for the better or remains the same.

Two days ago, one of my FB memories that popped up was of a message from a friend on my FB wall during my housemanship posting in Paeds. It was about my Chinese name that was generated from some fun thing we played on FB. My name turned out to be Mei Xiu. My friend said it was a really nice name. I cannot remember what the exact meaning of it was. I will Google it shortly. Anyway, although I am no longer in constant contact with this friend, it is amazing to remember that we once shared a life of housemanship. Paediatrics was a nightmare-ish posting, but it was worthwhile all the same.

I could still remember the time my team lost a child to severe dengue. The howls of the parents stay with you for years. Then, there were kids with cancer who succumbed to their fate, with their parents holding their hands along their journey, hoping for remission in their condition. But we waded through the tough 4 months under the guidance of wonderful MOs and esteemed specialists. Of course, having friends who work with you tanpa berkira was the true blessing in life! Most of my friends are now specialists in their own fields. I chose not to pursue further after my failed attempts at Anaesthesia. I am fulfilled with my current life as a medical officer. Although I hope it will end earlier than my designated pension age.

Anyway, being called Mei Xiu was one of my lovely moments in life. It is because, for a brief moment, I was reminded of a version of myself that existed before all the titles and responsibilities I carry today. It brought back a little nostalgia, a sense of familiarity and perhaps a reminder that beneath all the roles I play, I am still very much the same person. There is something special about being remembered by a name that belongs to a different chapter of your life. It makes you feel that some parts of you never really disappear; they simply become quieter as life moves on. A toast to more social media memories!