Welcoming a Crowd of Sorrows
Early in March 2020, I felt like I was hitting my stride in the internship. My Food Service Management rotation was going well, and nearing completion. I started envisioning my next community rotations, taking the RD exam, and fulfilling my dream of becoming an RD. Then, like for most people, my life unexpectedly changed, seemingly overnight due to Covid-19. Kati Fosselius, our DI director, told us via Zoom that Cal Poly Dietetic Interns we were not allowed to go to sites in person to complete our hours. Not surprisingly, Kati quickly supported us by providing alternative learning exercises to complete from home. She communicated with us frequently with updates and new information, but I struggled with mourning the fact that for the foreseeable future I could not go back in person into rotations that I believed were the best place to gain experience to prepare me to be a Registered Dietitian.
Kati reached out to RDs who may have projects for interns to work on remotely. Several responded, including Caitlin Johnson, a private practice RD who also specializes in providing MNT for women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome).
Overall, PCOS affects up to 15% of women and many women do not know they have PCOS until they have difficulty becoming pregnant due to anovulation. The first line of treatment for PCOS is diet and lifestyle changes. Caitlin provides MNT to women helping them improve their health and odds of conception, which immediately appealed to me. Throughout my time working with Caitlin, she has been a fantastic mentor offering firsthand experience for how as a dietetics professional she structures her private practice, creates an on-line presence with her website and on Instagram @pcosfertilitynutrition, and has created online courses for fatty liver disease and an upcoming course for women with PCOS.
Expressing gratitude is easy when I feel life is going well, however it is challenging for me to feel grateful when facing what I perceive as obstacles to what I predict will make me happy. One aspect of wellness for me is practicing mindfulness meditation. In that practice I encountered a poem by Jalaluddin Rumi who was a 13th century poet. He wrote the poem, “The Guest House” which is a reminder of how to welcome all experiences – even “a crowd of sorrows.” You can read the full poem here.
My initial reaction in March to being prevented from continuing with my scheduled rotations was like having a crowd of sorrows clean out my hopes and dreams. However, having the unexpected opportunity to learn from Caitlin Johnson, RD has been an amazing gift. Caitlin is a dynamic example of a dietetics professional who embraces welcoming all experiences in her approach to work with clients both in private practice and through creating online courses. She has inspired me to start working toward creating my own private practice when I complete the internship and become a RD.
As a result of a “crowd of sorrows” my perspective has shifted, and I have a new outlook for wider possibilities when I receive the credential of Registered Dietitian. So, I now choose to embrace Rumi’s advice to “be grateful for whoever comes…”