I have a very special group of clients who show up in Chapel Hill every May. I've worked with them for many years now and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy them. Living in a university town has lots of perks but for me one of the best one is the opportunity to work with the young medical residents coming to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill every year to begin their specialized studies in obstetrics and gynecology.
Every spring is a blur for me as I work non-stop for several weeks getting the incoming residents into homes appropriate for their new lives. Many have spouses or soon-to-be spouses who come with them and quite a few of them will begin families during the four years they are here so, in addition to being affordable and reasonably close to the hospitals, they need all the things in a home that a growing family requires. They have a very small window between "matching" (the process by which they are notified that they have been accepted into the program at UNC) and starting their residency. In a matter of weeks they must find a home, close on it, move to North Carolina, set up housekeeping and take a much needed break between med school and the non-stop intensity of residency. I also make it a point to educate them on how to care for the home in order to make sure they can sell it as quickly as they had to buy it.
At the same time I am diligently working to get the homes of the outgoing class on the market so they can go on to their next phase of life and career. My four year commitment to them includes being their point of contact for anything they need done on their home (their schedules do not permit interviewing and waiting around for contractors and repair folks) and culminates in making sure they have the smoothest possible sale at a time when they are once again going through major life changes.
It is exciting to be part of this time in their lives. I have enjoyed their friendship and meeting many of their proud parents; folks my age who are just so grateful to know that someone is available to assist their child with a transition that is difficult at best, even when it isn't taking place hundreds or thousands of miles away from home. It is also a time of very mixed emotion for me as I know that my only contact with many of the outgoing class will be via Facebook, birth announcements and holiday cards.
So this year I sent out an e-vite to one and all and invited them to bring their families and come on over to my house for an afternoon bar-b-que. What a blast we had! I fully intended to take pictures and brag to you all about what wonderful people they are, how beautiful their children are and what great successes they will be in their careers.
But something happened as they all came through my front door. They were just so happy to be together (let's just say down time is at a premium for them) and so inspiring to talk to and so RELAXED that I simply wanted to soak up the moment and not spend it recording it on film for others. What good is served by documenting that they made time to come hang out with their Realtor, that they enjoyed each others' company, that they may have had an adult beverage on a hot day? Some things are not for public consumption.
There are many of their generation who choose to share their lives in very public ways via all manner of social media. These young folks have chosen to share their lives in a way that truly serves their communities and I, for one, want to allow them whatever privacy they can possibly maintain. For me that means not even asking them if I can post pictures of them...I simply chose not to even take them!
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