I suppose I have been discussing mismatched matches a lot as of late. However, I could not pass up this opportunity to discuss the Life Match of Medicine as this happened to be the same day last year (Friday) before my husband and myself were married. Match Day happens to be the day in which the greatest whimsy does or does not occur for many medical students. For those of you who have never experienced a live match of whimsy, allow me to explain. 

Around the United States, Match Day is a moment of truth. Are you good enough to match? Pior to match day, medical students are asked to interview at countless places to increase the chances of attending a program that allows them to practice their desired branch of medicine. And trying to find a specific branch of medicine that one is passionate about to practice for the rest of his or her life is also a conundrum within itself. 

I remember we were on our way to a wedding the Fall before our wedding and my husband told me in the car (as we were driving to Connecticut) that he was for certain he was going to attempt to match into Plastic Surgery. Young and naive at the time, I thought to myself, well now that he knows what he wants to do, this shall be a piece of cake. But little did I know that Whimsy in Medicine is never one simple puzzle to solve. 

Following that discussion were countless hours of late night chats between my husband and myself following his interviews about how he should rank his choices. Should he place Pittsburgh as number one? Michigan? And we drove each other crazy with this decision. I can remember one night in the month of January, we were on the phone until 3:00 AM in the morning going back and forth between choices. From experience, you spend so much time trying to find the place that will "want you the most" that you sometimes fail to realize the place that has already carved a home for you. 

Sometimes there is whimsy in life chats. And the ultimate life chat occurred the night before my husband would officially submit his rank list. He talked to one of the heads of the program at Pitt, and along with the realization of family and friends, our decision was quickly sealed. The University of Pittsburgh would be ranked as one and for the remainder of the months, we would hope for the best. We came to peace about the fact that choices do help to create whimsy. But sometimes, whimsy is also multiplied in different and unexpected ways. In life, you have to ready for the unexpected whimsy as well-the realization that the multiplying love may be different than the journey you once imagined. 

Many found us to be completely insane because Match Day 2018 happened to be the day before our wedding and hours before our rehearsal dinner. Why would you place so much stress on one day? And in some ways, I think for both of us, we realized that part of starting a marriage is also coming to peace with the decisions we do not have a whole lot of control over. Regardless of what happened, we would be together and ultimately that is what would matter the most. 

I woke up very groggy that Friday morning. I remember driving down with husband separately and earlier than the rest of the family. Because we were early, we happened to go to Scaiffe Hall for a bit just to look out the window and grab some coffee. I never drink Starbucks, but this particular morning, I wanted it. I think the cup in my hand gave me security and a warmth of sorts. We stood side by side, peering out the giant window to The Peterson Events Center, watching other students pile into the doors eager to begin their match day adventure (wearing their royal blue shirts.) My husband kept looking down at his watch, and the only exchange I remember between the two us was the simple question: "Are you ready?" and my response "Yeah."  We walked over from The Medical School to The Peterson Events Center hand in hand in complete silence. 

The moments that followed were timeless, full of anxiety and emotion but also magical. We waited for the countdown to begin, the rushing over to grab the white envelopes with first and last names that revealed a successful match and a placement. And we held our breath. Because there are always moments where you are left standing in a crowded room, cheering and screaming only to realize that you can hear no one except for our own heartbeat and the beating of the clock. I think time sometimes these moments exist to remind us just how precious time is. Sometimes we need silent, interrupted time to just let the whimsy sink in, to be thankful we are alive and present and able to partake in such a large but yet small moment in the billions of moments that make up life. And my husband spoke a few more words before opening his letter that I think are just as profound, "If I match somewhere else don't hate me for it because it could happen...." and that realization that whimsy is not perfection or the hope we "do not let others down" but the reminder that love will continue to multiply anyways, in any circumstance, despite the outcome because whimsy has no room for disappointment but only love and support and faith. 

When he tore open that letter and read the words University of Pittsburgh, I saw relief I had not seen on his face in months (and our pictures show it.) 

Some may called it luck but as my husband has always said, there is absolutely no truth in luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity. And as an added quote, luck is when preparation meets whimsy. Whimsy in the being in the right place, with the right people, in the right moment at the right time. 

So every year we see others matching into various program across the country, we always relive our Whimsical Match. The match that has allowed us to keep journeying together, close to family and loved ones and cherished friends, in the city we grew up in, in the city we love. 

Welcome to the match. Enjoy the ride.