Tag: Hope

MANY BLESSINGS

This is the time of year when we look at the world with renewed gratitude for the blessings in our lives. I don’t know why we have to be reminded to be thankful when every day brings its own miracles and blessings. I think we spend so much time focusing our prayers on big blessings—like relief from pain, successful cancer treatment, healthy babies, the safety of our loved ones—that we forget to say thank you for all the mini blessings that we are surrounded by day in and day out.

I am hugely grateful for the medical miracles showered on my friends and my family and equally thankful for those who are now pain-free and wrapped in the arms of Jesus. But I’m focusing now on the many mini blessings I am gifted with.

  • A day when the mail is delivered before dark and it is everything that was scanned on informed delivery saying it was expected today.
  • Waking up next to my sweet husband of more than fifty years.
  • Lunch al fresco with a friend whose white count would allow visitors.
  • I am thankful the local Barnes and Noble carries all five of my books. If you will be in the area, I am doing a book signing on Saturday, Dec 13 Noon- 4 p.m. at the Tuscaloosa Barnes and Noble in Midtown. Stop for one of my books or just stop for a hug! Hope to see you there.
  • The enthusiasm of my thirteen year old great niece who wants to be an author when she is older. She really already is. I’m reading her story as it is born.
  • The arthritis in my fingers remaining at bay for me to knit socks, crochet baby blankets, spin colorful yarn, weave warm scarves, do needlework, and paint and put together tiny pieces for the buildings on my husband’s model railroad.
  • A positive letter from an unexpected source that brought tears to my eyes.
  • Lunch with friends who make time for us to continue decades of friendship.
  • A text message just saying I’m loved. I confess, sometimes it makes me pick up the phone to talk to the sender because no text message can replace the sound of a voice of someone you love.
  • A wonderful cardiac calcium score (4) after going through a difficult test.
  • Celebrating making another orbit around the sun.
  •  Scrapbooks and photo albums that let me relive so many of  the wonderful moments of my life.
  • Good books to read including one my great nephew shared with me that he had been percolating for several years—a stirring sci-fi fantasy. Can’t wait to see how it ends.
  • My readers—veteran followers and new. I love seeing a new name pop up on a review or a new follower. It’s always great when longtime readers and followers leave comments on my blog.
  • I love that I have readers who want to be early recipients of my latest work. One of those early readers is my husband whose lawyer training keeps my characters from doing anything that would land them in jail. Thank you all!

I’m sure there are many more mini blessings, but these are top of mind today. Take a moment to be thankful for not only the major miracle blessings in your life, but for all the little moments when positives rain down on you and make you smile.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Enjoy!

And Then…

It seems that everyone is dealing with scary, difficult, and life-changing “stuff”. My prayer list grows longer every day. Loss of parents, children, spouses, friends. Cancer. Pneumonia. Stroke. Heart attack. Diseases I can’t even pronounce. Loss of mobility. Depression. Blood clots. Dementia. Fire. Flood. Accidents. Job loss. Contentious family relationships. Work-life balance. And a myriad of issues that may not seem major to someone on the outside looking in but are gut wrenching and heart breaking to the people slogging through them looking for daylight on the other side.

There is a real danger that when you’re being inundated by evil and ills of the world, you’ll miss the moments of total joy and pure bliss. Don’t let them be overshadowed by the bad. There are so many exquisite moments in life if you are looking for them. The talcum powder scent of a new baby. The gleeful face of a six year old bathed in the glow from birthday cake candles. The smile of someone who loves you. The sound of a friend’s voice long unheard. A hand holding yours as you cross the street. A new job you are passionate about. Mastering a new skill no one thought you could. Reaching a golden anniversary milestone. The aroma of supper wafting to you when you come in the back door. A letter from a friend you thought you’d lost. Discovering who you are. Realizing you are a child of a Creator who loves you always. Finding someone who believes in you.

Remember, there was a dark, difficult time ages ago when all seemed bleak and hopeless. Then…

UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE

Happy Easter

The Hope of Spring

I always enjoy Springtime when the buds come out on trees and bulbs push their way up through the dirt to burst into colorful blooms. It is life affirming to me. Hopeful. There is a plan that all of nature follows. Year after year. It reminds me that a higher power than ourselves is keeping everything on course. 

This year, Spring made itself known early. We’ve already had daffodils, tulip trees, forsythia, red buds, and this week, dogwoods, blooming. But I’ve been distracted by events happening hundreds of miles away in an ICU in a medical center in Iowa. 

Since January 14th, my 35 year-old nephew has been battling against horrific odds to stay alive. He was admitted with pancreatitis and diagnosed with SUD. For those of you non-medical people, like me, that means Substance Use Disorder. His substance is alcohol. The same demon that plagued his father. 

This 8 week ICU stay has included fourteen surgeries: complete removal of his colon (large intestine); removal of part of his pancreas; and removal of part of his small intestine resulting in an ileostomy. There have been dozens of units of blood, clotting factor, and plasma given. Heroic efforts have been made to stop his internal bleeding and to close and mange the incision in some fashion, difficult to do after so many times into the same incision. He ran dramatically high levels of lactic acid. Has been on tube feedings. Has had IV blood pressure support and dialysis to stay alive. He was intubated for an extended time resulting in damage to his vocal cords making him unable to speak. He was on a ventilator to assist his breathing for awhile and had a tracheostomy placed to support the ventilator use,  also for comfort and to give his vocal cords some relief from having a tube down his throat. Then when things seemed to be improving they discovered he had a super-bug that would require a strong antibiotic to combat. He has been blessed with extraordinarily talented surgeons and medical staff. 

His wife and mother (A PhD Nurse Practitioner) have lived at his bedside as much as possible. (His wife has had to go to work and care for their 12 year old and two 8 year olds). They have kept over four hundred people “in the loop” on his daily situation through a marvelous site called Caring Bridge. It was set up specifically for families needing to update friends and loved ones during a medical crisis in a secure, private way. It is a free service that depends upon donations to continue their wonderful work. Because of this link, people literally around the world have been able to share their prayers and love to strengthen my nephew, my sister, and their family.

So why am I sharing this story with you? There are several reasons: 

If you are a substance user who can’t stop, whether it is alcohol or something else—please get help. Please don’t let it get to the point my nephew did. Look to Alcoholics Anonymous, your personal physician, Google your substance of choice and find out where to get help in your area. You aren’t only harming yourself. You are hurting your family, your friends. No one can make you stop. No one can force you to get treatment. You have to step up and recognize your personal responsibilities and treat your disease (SUD). I don’t want anyone to go through what my nephew is. He wants to live. He has a strong will to go forward. I wish he had reached out for help, rather than trying to go it on his own, and getting into a life-threatening situation. Protect yourself.

If someone you love has a substance use disorder disease, support them in their struggle and encourage them to find help. Knowing they are loved can only help.   

If you are a blood donor, God Bless you. In large part because of blood donors my nephew has made it this far. If you’ve never donated blood or plasma, think about it. It is truly a life giving gift. 

If you have a family member in a medical crisis, look at www.caringbridge.org. They do amazing work. With one post you can securely communicate with everyone at a time when you’re too exhausted mentally and physically to keep telling the story over and over.    

I believe my nephew has been blessed with countless miracles during this hospitalization because there is a strong wave of prayer constantly going to ask God for strength, for healing, and for peace. I don’t know what the destination at the end of his journey will be. Make no mistake, there is still a long road to recovery or he could leave us tomorrow despite everything.  I do know that God has held him close, wrapped him in love, and given wisdom and compassion to his caregivers. My prayer is that everyone involved in these daily miracles will recognize that God is good and He has a plan for my nephew that only He knows. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for my nephew and who have been holding my sister and her husband, my nephew’s wife and children, and me up with your loving prayers.

So as Spring brings nature’s renewal to us, I continue to hope and pray for strength for the days ahead for my nephew and all his family.