Writing with Juliet Iwelunmor

Today marked the end of an amazing journey. It was the end of a five year-term as a permanent member of an NIH review section. One that began exactly one week after I gave birth to my 4th baby. All of this in early months of the pandemic. This journey was amazing because I really don’t know how I continuously reviewed grants, close to 24 grants every year for the past 5 years, while at the same time being a mom, a wife to an incredible rock star doctor in my opinion and a super busy researcher. What I know is that grace was with me through it all. An amazing grace. I often sing the popular song to myself as it’s the only thing that makes sense in my unexplainable life. That I reviewed grants continuously while working and being a wife never ceases to amaze me. That today marked the end of an era is why this day is so full of grace. I’m hugging myself. Yes, hugging myself because we did it against all odds. There were days I wished this cup would pass, days I didn’t even want to look at another grant let alone review it. How we did it and so effortlessly is grace and this amazing one is all I need.