I write this blog tonight next to two cell phones – one is mine, and one belongs to the hospital I work for. I am the social worker on-call tonight. You might be wondering what we could get called in for late at night, or you may have guessed it already… death. As a hospital social worker I work with death a lot. Most of the time it is the “death” of something that patient...
Every Tuesday I lead a bible study for undergrad ladies attending UC Berkeley through Cru ministries. Last Tuesday, one of the girls said to me (in so many words), “Carrie, thank you for being an example of living a content single life.” She expanded her thought by mentioning that there had recently been a conference at her church about love, dating and relationships, and she was surprised to find that none of the panelists were...
A few months ago I was walking down the streets of Berkeley. The sun was setting, and as the city darkened I threw my purse around my neck in order to hold on a little tighter. There weren’t many people out and about so as I watched an African American male dressed in dark colors with a hat on approach me from a couple blocks away, my heart started to race just a bit. The...
Just a few weeks ago I was running up Bancroft and Telegraph in my cap and gown to claim my masters degree in social work from UC Berkeley’s school of social welfare. I stood in awe of the journey I had been on to find myself in that place. This is a bit of that story… A few months after my sweet sixteen, I landed a job in a hospital. I worked part-time and on...
On this Holy Monday, I cannot help but to remember this past Lent with joy. These past few weeks have been some of the most peaceful days I’ve had in a very long time. In short, my goal for Lent was a bit secular in nature, as it was to be more mindful. I hung up verses throughout my house to help remind me everyday of this mindfulness goal. But the fruit of the Spirit...
In honor of the national women’s month of March, I wanted to write about something that has been weighing very heavily on my heart over the past two years. While working in all of my internships, my eyes have been opened to many incidents of rape, violence, and sexual assault brought upon women. I recently read about a hidden tragedy that has been taking place all around us for years—the rampant amount of sexual assaults...
Major Spoilers Ahead. Do not read if you haven’t watched the Season 3 Finale. I have written before about my love for television watching, which is mostly due to the profession I have chosen. Currently I am working with patients who experience a traumatic physical event (car accident, fall, gun shot wound, etc.) from beginning to end. Unfortunately, a good portion of these patient’s do not survive, and often I am faced with the challenge...
I flew home this weekend to watch the Super Bowl with my dad. Watching the Super Bowl with my dad is one of my favorite things to do because he can pretty much tell me everything about anything. We had all of our hopes in the Niners for the big win, and I was planning on using this Monday to write about how great it is to live in the Bay Area this year. But,...
On a recent visit to Reality San Francisco, I couldn’t help but feel that a large movement had begun throughout their community. Though there was over a thousand people in attendance, it was easy to feel the small community within the Mission District Middle School that Sunday morning. Usually Reality SF holds more services, but in January they are trying “slow church” – one service, the whole body, and lots of good vibes. As I...
As a student of medical social work, I oftentimes end my days with many serious stressors on my mind. My work involves situations of life and death, and other very heavy events. Because of this, I often find myself coming home and at the least watching one television show to get my mind focused on something funny and light-hearted. My friends and family enjoy giving me a hard time because some of my favorite shows...
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