(Originally written 4/09)

I have always had a knack for multi-tasking.  While this has become a more common thing these days, it never ceases to amaze me how stressful things can get.   Stress is everywhere.  I am sitting here at the end of my fourth year of medical school and can finally smile at the fact that I have almost accomplished one of my life-long goals…medical school.  Medical school is one of the hardest things to go through, period.  Most people believe that it is hard because of the overwhelming amount of knowledge that is forced upon you.   As I went through it, I realized that it wasn’t the knowledge that was the challenge- it was the environment that I build for myself that was the most important.  It was so important to keep in contact with my friends and family when I could.  It also became especially important for me to eat at least three healthy meals a day and take my vitamins.  And of course, SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP whenever I could. 

That being said, these essentials were almost enough to bring me back to a peaceful state of mind.  But, in times where I felt really down in the dumps and isolated, I had to get a hug…from one of my Ishababies.   It was a secret that I kept very well.  You see, I have always been a kid at heart which is one of the reasons that Pediatrics is one of my great loves.   But, being a CEO of a gift company that specializes in plush characters allowed me to have full time access to my snuggly soft friends.   I never turned down a hug from one of them and would often cuddle my friends while hanging around my house.

Medical school was even more difficult for me because I was constantly going.   I felt like I was always dealing with deadlines for the budget, an exam, a medical presentation, designing a new outfit or even new dolls.  As time progressed, I felt that this secret life separated me from my peers.  Many of them couldn’t understand that I had daily business meetings with my staff or that I had to stay up even later to talk to our manufacturers abroad.   Though it was difficult at first, I finally became a master juggler who delighted in the beauty of humanity- sometimes I felt as though I could experience the full gamut of emotions in an hour of a day.

Hugs were a way to connect me to the larger world and focus on my larger purpose.  I began to find that there was a lot to a hug- It was simple, warm, and a great stress release.  Even now, I love hearing from our customers about how healing the Ishababies can be to those customers who have dealt with illness, loneliness, or just a bad day.    I have heard recently in the news that there are some people who are buying life-like baby dolls who cry and coo.  These women carry them around in public, put them in strollers and treat them like real babies.  

A hug is a hug and the simple fact is that we all need to express love or receive love in some way- we are all human.  Ishababies offer a less complicated alternative to the doll or the teddy bear- they are soft and light.  I sometimes even give my mini keychain baby a squeeze during stressful times and feel a little better.    Even though I created my line to represent the beauty of individuality and humanity, I can’t help but remarking that my experience with them has become my own play therapy session.   In a way, having the toy industry and the medical industry juxtaposed to one another became a well needed outlet when I wanted to escape from either world.   In this way, I loved the fact that I could wear many hats and have (seeming) control over my career path…

As women, we wear many hats- some too numerous to count.   Our lives can be especially hectic and stressful.  But,  I find that there should always be time to sit and breathe.  Even taking a moment to reflect, pulling over to the side of the road, or even looking out the window allows an escape from the day and a way to lower our heart rates, breathing rate and gets us back in touch with our senses.  But, most importantly, don’t forget to hug- your loved ones, pets, or significant characters in your life.  Being a medical student and a CEO has been an extraordinarily stressful and rewarding experience and I am now ready to be a doctor, CEO, and look forward to becoming wife and mother in the future with no reservation.