I am honored to be here. When Kelly asked me to do it I sat down and I tried to put  into words – grief – the feelings of our Med School through this terrible loss. Sometimes words are inadequate, words cannot begin to describe the true meaning, the terribleness, the depth of grief. So I gave up writing and I went back to something that I first thought to do.

In Medicine we are told that there is power in story. There is power in narrative. There is power in continuing the story. So I am going to tell you my story. I invite you all to think of your story while I am telling mine. I invite you to share your story with everyone in the next week. in the next month and for years coming even if they don’t want to hear it.

Tell them Lindsay was quite involved with the Ice Bowl. She came up to me prior to it actually happening and said we are short a team so I would like you to help us out with a Faculty team. I said OK and spent some time putting together a team. Two days before Ice Bowl Lindsay came up to me looked me straight in the eye and said we don’t need the Faculty team anymore. I am Associate Dean so I will tell you what I am used to. I am used to a little groveling.  I am sorry, Dr Wright sorry to put you out it must have been a big inconvenience. I didn’t get that. She looked me straight in the eye and her face said if you’ve got a problem, then it is your problem. And I said OK. So I thought two things – The first thing I thought was our Admissions Committee has got it right this time. This is going to be a fantastic doctor. The second thing I said to myself was I better be nice to her because someday I am going to be working for her.

I have a med School class that has been shot through the heart. They are bleeding but you cannot see it. Part of my job over the last week was to see from a distance if they were going to be OK and you know what,  they are going to be OK because even in death Lindsay is going to be their teacher. We are talking about the death of someone very close. As physicians we are going to deal with this and they are going to understand what death means to those that love. They will carry this forever. This class is defined by Lindsay’s death but as they carry Lindsay so Lindsay will carry them and that is wonderful.

Condolences,  don’t even start.

You have to understand that we are grieving but that we will be stronger. We will be OK. We will tell her story. Done. You don’t have to worry.