Dear Reader,
This thirteenth edition of Medicine and Meaning continues our tradition of gathering stories from around the world and selecting the very best for you, our readers. Our editors have worked hard to curate pieces that are rich with experience, wisdom, and honesty, and we hope you will learn from them, recognize parts of your own journey in them, and feel encouraged to share your own stories with us in the future.
This month’s nonfiction section brings together three powerful narratives. One of them, fMy Melanoma and Me, is written by a young woman reflecting on her long relationship with melanoma. Decades after her initial diagnosis and successful treatment, the cancer returned and was again treated effectively. She writes with gratitude for the extra time her early care gave her and takes us through the full cycle of grief—shock, denial, depression, acceptance, and finally a sense of thankfulness for the care she received. Another story, My Vasectomy, follows a young man undergoing a vasectomy, an experience that brings back vivid memories of his father’s vasectomy when he was a child. In this thoughtful piece, he explores how medical decisions ripple through families, shaping relationships and quality of life. Still aother story, Cyclopia 1979, describes the birth of a newborn and the terrifying news delivered at the moment of birth, capturing the uncertainty, fear, and fragile hope that accompany new life. Together, these stories span the full spectrum—from birth to adulthood, from unexpected diagnoses to deliberate choices, from illness to effective treatment—and remind us of the meaning we find in caring for one another.
In the fiction section, we feature three stories that explore the complexities of connection, memory, and shared humanity. In The Outsider, a dedicated teacher spends extra time with an emotionally withdrawn child who struggles with alexithymia. Her efforts to reach him are sincere and compassionate, yet they are misunderstood by those around her, revealing how easily good intentions can be misread. Another story, How Do You Remember Me?, is a lyrical reflection by a young doctor who recalls one of her patients with tenderness and wonder. She asks herself whether he remembers her at all—and if he does, how those memories persist despite his dementia and decline. Another story still, Choosing Sides, follows a physician whose encounters with patients from cultural, historical, and demographic backgrounds very different from his own gradually lead him to help others see beyond those divisions. Through one particular patient, he comes to recognize and to help his patient recognize – the deep common humanity that lies beneath the artificial boundaries that separate people.
In the 55‑word story section, we feature four pieces this month. On Grief: The Little Rosebud reflects on grief through the image of a rosebud tree responding to the forces of nature, reminding us of impermanence and renewal. Liminal Consciousness captures the turbulent emotions that accompany the beginning of a healing journey. The Cost of Clarity offers a vivid portrait of a woman making samosas for her family, speaking in broken language but communicating with unmistakable emotional truth through her gestures and presence. The final story, What We Give portrays the many sacrifices a young woman makes as she pursues a life devoted to healing.
In the Poetry section, we have selected fourteen poems exploring light and darkness, life and death, stars and respiratory viruses, motherhood, medicine, and a little of everything in between.
Finally, the images section features eight striking visual pieces, showcasing a variety of landscapes and heartfelt human relationships. What Matters Most, a photograph captures a multicolored sunlit sky illuminating snow and trees. Unofficially titled photographs The Watchman at Zion National Park and Mouse Tank Road capture impressive, rugged settings in national parks in Western United States. The interaction of young gardeners and their blooming garden is captured in a stunning untitled photograph, playing with negative and positive visual space. Three other untitled photographs present friendship bonds and generational relationships with a touching embrace between a mother and son, two friends, and a young girl learning to prepare nutritious foods. A mixed media piece entitled Through Their Gift, We See Within, illustrates the incredible gift given to students through anatomical donors. The beauty of nature, life, and relationships are vividly on display in this issue.
We hope you enjoy this issue, and we look forward to receiving your contributions for future editions.
The editors,
Paulette Mehta, Editor-in=Chief
Nancy Rusch and Kalaivani Sivakumar nonfiction editors
Faiza Khan and Humaira Khan, fiction editors
Chris Fettes poetry editor
Allan Sherman 55-word story editor
Bryan Clifton and Stephanie Trotter images editors