In the right place

My mom, 3 months into her cancer diagnosis, was being admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). I got the news just 10 minutes before I was scheduled to meet with my program officer about a grant to help me transition to a faculty position. It was unprofessionally last minute to cancel. But as I frantically threw things into a suitcase, I knew I wouldn’t be able to give it my full attention. So, I emailed the program officer to explain the situation. She wrote back immediately, urging me to focus on my family. She reiterated her message later, when my mom was out of the ICU but I was still too distracted to meet. “The overall goal over the coming weeks is to just be a good daughter,” she said. “The research can wait.” Her words became my personal guidepost.