Every year for 10 years, my Irish mother Isabel "Issy" and I attended the annual Irish Books Arts and Music (IBAM) weekend at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago.

In this episode of Mindworks in Conversation, Filipino American poet and educator Sarah Gambito, Director of Creative Writing and Professor at Fordham University, reflects on how language, identity, and culture shape the way we understand one another.

 Edmondson, a Mindworks member who holds an MS in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University, is a veteran health writer and editor, a narrative medicine specialist, and an expressive writing and art-journaling workshop facilitator. Here, she explores how a narrative medicine-informed advocate can be a game-changing asset for patients and providers.

Our older son, Ken, has lived four decades with a chronic condition bringing him pain, discomfort, and unwelcome surprises. Yet he carries himself cheerfully, generous with conversation and appreciation. One of his gifts is his annual tradition of sending holiday cards to friends, family, and anyone who touched his life that year—including his doctors and their staff. He spends hours writing each card by hand, filling every blank space with tiny script. 

Actor Chris Chinn (The Departed, Saved By The Bell) has spent over three decades mastering the art of the script. However, in our latest Mindworks in Conversation, he reveals that the most critical human interactions—specifically those in healthcare—are the ones where no script exists to follow.

I was led back to the recovery room to see my 25-year-old daughter, Haley, who was just starting to rouse after having a pacemaker implanted.