Annals of family medicine
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Being a resident is hard. Being a resident dealing with a recent breakup is even harder. I wrote this piece after a serendipitous encounter on Valentine's Day with an elderly woman who embraced her messy journey to finding love, no matter her age or circumstance. ⋯ Looking back, I think about how easily I almost missed this heartfelt connection by being absorbed in my usual checklist of tasks for a new hospital admission. My patient's keen insight into her own romantic life taught me a vital skill in both medicine and personal relationships: the importance of being open to the unexpected. Annals "Online First" article.