“For the Man with the Plan”

Over the years, patients have given me gifts. As I organize my office and get items ready for the University of Rochester archives, these mementos take me back.

A patient crafted this jewelry box and added details such as a felt liner and a mirror.

One gift is a wood box from a patient who’s a woodworker. He makes the items out of scrap wood. I have a couple of his earlier versions that are not quite so finished and beautifully done as this. Even the inside has a felt-lined compartment and a mirror, so it’s good for jewelry and makeup.

The highlight of this piece for me is the inscription on the bottom. He writes, “For the man with the plan.”

Perfect.

It’s also a big responsibility because that means I’m supposed to have the answers.