Love Notes for Learning

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Catherine Cheng, MD

Ooo, it’s late. Of course I procrastinated revising my presentation to the last minute. Tomorrow I get to talk to first year physician assistant students about burnout and well-being. How fun to look each time at the prior year’s slides and see how much is unchanged, as well as what has evolved in the interim. Mostly I feel increasingly informal, collegial, practical, and just a little maternal in my approach. It’s about calling forth just a few things to hold in front through training and career: Meaning, Mission, Connection, and Lifelong Learning.

So let’s see what twelve love notes emerge from this mindset, shall we?

What a wonde(r)fully wide and awesome world to behold when we take a beginner’s mind and open ourselves to new experience and connection anywhere, anytime!

2. May you see and encouner the wise teacher in every person you meet today. We can learn something valuable from any encounter if we are just open to it.

3. Holy cow, there is too much to ever learn or know! So follow your curiosity in the moment–anything you learn is something you can apply later!

4. Curiosity is such a vastly more fun and interesting mindset than certainty! Not mutually exclusive, and definitely in need of balance.

5. Dear darling, may you never lose that child-like awe and wonder at the marvels that surround us! It keeps us out of cynicism and despair, I am convinced.

6. Wishing you a day of relaxed, eye opening, insightful, and connecting intellectual sparks today! Because that kind of energy fuels us and keeps the world turning!

7. At some point today, may we embody the qualities of our very favorite teachers. It’s never about the information; it’s about the love, the kindness, and the relationship. 🙂

8. What a privilege to befriend young people! The diversity of perspective among age(s) and generations opens us! May your friends span the decades!

9. Huh. We’re kinda all teachers, leading by example that others either want to follow or NOT. So let us watch which examples we ourselves follow, eh?

10. Let us take on a student mindset often. Show up. Open up. Invite the lesson. Study. Dedicate ourselves to absorb, integrate, and apply. So much possibility, OMG!

11. Whatever super cool new random thing you learn next, please share! We all do better when we spread the love of learning throughout life, right?

12. Nobody can possibly know everything! Someone will always know more than you or I do about something. How cool! What if we all shared freely and generously?

Until tomorrow, friends. Take good care of your ever expanding minds and hearts!

Love Notes for Humanity

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Catherine Cheng, MD

My friends, you MUST listen to the Crowns Series by Nicola Tyche! I have only a little over five hours left of the trilogy and I’m getting sad already that it will end. WHAT a ride, though! I want to write a proper post/review after these thirty days are finished–can’t wait can’t wait! I’m still texting Phara every few minutes during each listening session and she is such a strong, non-spoiling, encouraging book friend!
Besides the brilliant story, literary writing, masterful plot with the most wicked twists, I love the characters the best. They are all just so human, all doing their best to uphold their core values, face challenges to their prejudices with honesty and courage, and they love so bravely and authentically. It warms and breaks my heart all at the same time. I could not recommend these books strongly enough!

Humanity. Let us all honor and uhpold it in ourselves and all we encounter, yes?
Let’s see if I can muster messages that help:

Joy Connection Understanding Acceptance Belonging *LOVE* May you find all of these in overflowing abundance in all of your relationships!

2. Feel all your emotions! And regulate your actions. Say sorry and mean it when you hurt someone. We all make mistakes. We are SMART, so we can LEARN. You’ got this.

3. Thank the gods for our creative and artist humans! They help us fully experience this amazing life and we are so lucky to have them! Big love and light to you!

4. We are born and made to live in relationship. Family, tribe, friendship–it all matters and shapes us. Wishing with all of me for your relationships to hold and lift ALL OF YOU!

5. Hello my dear fellow human. When I meet you, may I always remember that you and I both have loved ones who want the best for us, and that we are all worthy.

6. To first identify, then acknowledge and embrace our fears, this is courageous humanity. Maybe we cannot muster it all the time, so let’s *celebrate* when we do! That’s awesome.

7. “You see me.” I think this rivals “You love me” or “I love you” as the most connecting expression between two humans. Yeah.

8. When I see you, I think of your mom and how much she loves you. And it makes me love you a little more too. Can we just look at each other this way more?

9. OMG how we ALL fuck up every day! Is it not phenomenal?? So let’s just accept and expect it already, yes? Own it, mend it, and keep going–do better next time.

10. Every day, my friend, I wish you a rhythm of inspiration that manifests in music and DANCE. To move your body to a beat is an energy we all need. Even better with others, too!

11. My dear darling friend, your feelings are VALID. Please allow them, move through them, and maybe explore and understand them, if you can. Then rest and find your people. They can help.

12 We are human. We love whom we love. We can love anyone in any way, and that love can also evolve. Nothing about love is binary or restrictive. How wonderful!

Oh there is definitely more here. Doesn’t it feel like I write a love note a day for a year for every one of these topics? What if I could do that for a living? Hmmmm… Love notes, love letters, sending love, landing it squarely on others’ consciousness exactly how it’s needed in the moment–that would be an amazing day job. More tomorrow!

Love Notes for Remembrance

Posted on November 16, 2025 by Catherine Cheng, MD

May her memory be a blessing.

Today I attended the funeral and life celebration of Mary Deeley, friend of decades, teacher, preacher, and leader of the Sheil Catholic Center community at my alma mater, Northwestern University. Funny, and I think a little divine, that I wrote notes for reunion two nights ago. Father Ken Simpson celebrated the mass today, and I felt at home, seeing so many familiar faces from decades of relationship. Mary’s spouse spoke with love and humor, just as I imagine Mary would have wanted. It was a whirlwind day of smiles, hugs (so many hugs, it was awesome), and memories. What a lovely reminder for what’s important in life (our relationships) and how to spend the finite time and attention we are given (not much at all, and duh, on relationships).

Let’s see if I can do the feelings justice:

Your memory is indeed a blessing. What a beautiful expression. We miss your bodily presence terribly, and we know you are always with us.

2. When we remember those who have passed, may we honor their legacy of love and impact on us by paying it all forward as best we can. 🙂

3. Long before any of us pass, may we share our fondest remembrances of each other. Why wait until the end? Recall and rejoice today!

4. May we honor and respect past versions of ourselves that had to go. They served us until they didn’t and it’s OK to mourn them and keep living.

5. When I come across something that reminds me of you, I try always to mark it somehow. So the cosmos knows about you and how you still matter.

6. “You know, the death rate from life is 100%.” –My very wise patient. We can choose to create the memories worth recalling by living as intentionally as possible now. In love.

7. If/when I lose my memory, I hope the cosmos will let me keep the love above all else. When I see your face, that’s all I need to remember about us.

8. Let us welcome the memories that bring tears. They signal deep connection and remind us of what we share. They make us human. Welcome welcome welcome.

9. First I thought about grief Then about loss. But remembrance is now my preferred frame. It feels more connecting to the love somehow.

10. When that stab of sudden and intense remembrance strikes, may we slow a step, take a breath, and allow it. It’s transient and a blessing through the ether.