By Leora Lowenthal, LICSW, OSW-C, MPA, FAOSW

This is my final “President’s Message” and I’ll begin by noting that serving as president of AOSW is an extraordinary privilege and opportunity and one I’ve been grateful to have.  It has at times, also been an unnerving responsibility, and deeply humbling experience. As I prepare for my last month and get ready to transition to the role of Past-President, I’ve tried to compile some of my takeaway “notes to self and future presidents”. What I share below are just a few of those which I hope can be helpful to others.

• Much in life will not go according to plan and that’s okay.
  To be clear, if this sounds like an affirmation, it’s because it is something I tell myself regularly.  I do like having a plan and find it gratifying when things go according to plan. Still, there have been many times when new information or circumstances have made it clear that a change in plans was needed.  Jumping straight to the takeaway lesson: be ready for and embrace this possibility rather than just trying to make the original plan work.
• You don’t know what you don’t know.
  Despite being well-prepared for the role and knowing quite a bit about AOSW, the year was a constant lesson in how much I don’t know.  At every turn I relied on guidance and input from the board, committees, state reps, SIGs, fellows, editors, members on and off SWON, and our staff team at Kellen. There is no doubt in my mind that I was a better president for their support and generously shared wisdom. My takeaway was to recognize the limits of my own knowledge, allow myself every opportunity to listen and learn, ask questions, and ask for help when needed.
• Sometimes there will be no one “right” answer for all members.
  Occasionally when I have gone in search of a “best” or “right” answer I have discovered that it doesn’t exist, or at least not in the way I had imagined. The oncology social work community is diverse in a multitude of ways and our respective experiences, perspectives and needs at any given time will vary. My takeaway was to recognize this as a strength within our profession rather than a challenge and allow it to inform our future work.
• Allow yourself time to think.
  As acknowledged in some earlier takeaway lessons, there were plenty of moments this year when life took unexpected turns, knocking various plans (and me) off balance.  In those moments it was tempting to make fast decisions in the name of fast resolutions but with retrospect I can say, they generally wouldn’t have been great decisions. My takeaway regarding these moments became, whenever possible, allow time for contemplation and consultation and don’t rush to a resolution.
• Celebrate the good.
  This sounds obvious but it’s not.  It’s surprisingly easy to get swept up in what’s not working and forgot about everything that is working brilliantly well.  Part of what sustained me this year was periodically stepping back to admire the bigger picture. Our membership and the work being done is extraordinary and that’s inspiring.Taking an even bigger step back, one can consider the following article, which reviews the first 25 years of AOSW’s history: Historical Threads in the Development of Oncology Social Work – PMC (nih.gov).  I recall reading it at the time of original publication and being inspired and equally intimidated at the thought of presidency.  Reading it recently, it affirmed my sense of privilege for the opportunity to spend a year at the helm of this extraordinary community, and appreciation for how far we have come since 1984. It also made me wonder about the decade ahead of us and excited for what an updated version of the article might look like in our 50th year.

In summary, the learning curve was steep and worthwhile and as an organization, we have a lot to be proud of already and a lot of work ahead of us.  I look forward to all of it and in the meantime, it is my continued honor to serve as President.