Ok, this is a longy but a goody. "Thanks" are well overdue. These past two months have been, by far, the most challenging of my life as I have been stretched emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually far beyond myself. And yet somehow I have sailed, even coasted at times, through the challenges with relative peace. In part this is due to heavy doses of pain-killers, true, hehe. But I can not deny the influence and power of healing gifts, which were bestowed on me in various and countless ways.
Healing Gifts I've Received During Recovery:
- visits, phone calls; while in the hospital and since
- cards (oh my gosh, Megan, have you ever seen a funnier/cuter card?! I'm still cracking up)
- flowers (thank you Karen for my weekly supply! I LOVE flowers)
- care for the girls while Ben is at work (thank you Nina, Kendra, Lisa, Angie, Danielle!)
- company/care for me while Ben is at work (thank you Grandma, Nina, Jaymie, Danielle)
- overnight care for the girls once a week (thank you Nina and Matthew!)
- meals delivered - too many to name!
- dinner with company (we love it when you stay to play, Nate and Jodie and Baby Tessa!)
- prayer shawl sennt by my grandfather, given by his friend, the nun
- groceries delivered
- sheets changed (it really is the little things)
- gifts cards to cafes wihin walking distance (motivation to get up and moving!)
- unicorn-get-well-slideshow (thank you Great-Uncle Butch this was a favorite!)
- prayers
- cable/internet service provided (thank you Mom and Dad!)
- breif visits simply to open or close my windows and curtains! (big little things!)
- monetary gifts from friends and family (cash never hurts, 'specially with me out of work and medical bills piling!)
- monetary gifts from people I have never even met!
- house cleaned
- laundry done (thank you Jaymie for putting up with all our crap!)
- rides to dr. appointments
- transportation of the kids to and from caregivers
- living room re-arranged and painted (thank you Alex!! I needed this to lift my spirits)
I know we would not be getting through all this so well if not for these gifts and the love of those who gave them. And yet there are a few people I must single out - those whose support has given me the inspiration to not only keep-on-keepin-on but to live this life to the fullest.
Thank you, Nina, for your constant support in whatever things I have asked and even things I didn't know I needed. Your care-calendar and ever-awareness of our needs has been wonderful! I am so lucky you are my sister and am extremely glad the girls have you to be there for them during this crazy time.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being here for my surgery, and since then for your financial help and emotional support - I know you would be here if you could and appreciate all the creative ways you have made your presense and support available. I am blessed.
Thank you, Grandma, for coming to be with me, I truly enjoy your company and our special connection. I'm glad we have had this time together and look forward to many more good times to come. How 'bout a hellicopter ride in Hawaii, yo?!
Thank you, Jaymie, for your faithful visits, house-cleaning, laundry, dinners, good chats, thrift store trips, etc. I feel lucky to have you come so far each week and spoiled that we get to spend so much time together lately!
Thank you, Kendra, for your weekly commitment to childcare and dinners, your notes help me stay connected to the girls and they love coming to your house. We expecially enjoy Mila's Shane-imitations! I'm lucky you guys moved back into town just in time!
Thank you, Angie, for putting up with my kids' poop ;) and for making your time with my girls enjoyable and educational - I'm jealous, you should take me on a farm feildtrip next time!
Thank you, Lisa, for being flexible, available, and like a second (or third or forth or ?!) mommy for my kids two days a week. You are a faithful friend.
Thank you, Danielle, for being here this month to fill in all the gaps, be everywhere at once and do everything.. ;o) Really you have been the breath of fresh air we desperately needed around here; your food is delicious and nutritious, your music brings inspiration, joy and comfort, and your willing and helpful spirit brings relief.
Thank you, Eden and Mila, for keeping me smiling thoughout it all. You remind me that joy is in the present. You are strong and courageous, creative and sensitive. I'm sorry, none of this is fair for you. Thank you for being so quick to love and forgive. You will be blessed.
And finally, I am so grateful to Ben, for your constant presense during this time. I have been assured by you throughout all this that I am not alone, even if I feel I am. Ben is a rock, he has been tossed around, heated, and shaken so much by the quakes of this past 4 years and especially by the magnitude of this most recent quake, and yet his cracks only reveal true gold at the core. How could I have chosen a better man to spend my life with? I could not. He is the best there is. Ben, I truly am "the luckiest".
Now I know this entry has been pretty serious, maybe even heavy, but I have to finish by adding that the most influential/healing gifts have come in the form of humor. Be it a hilarious card, a blunt/crude remark about cancer issues or sternal precautions, funny storries about my kids and poop, an annonymous check for a ridiculous amount, a dumb joke, a conversation about pinworms, my girls dancing to God knows what, etc. it is just good to be reminded that life is so funny.. really, truly funny, when you stop to think about it. None of us should even be alive, really, when you consider all the possibility for tagedy and demise. And yet we are here, those of us who are still here that is, because for one silly reason or another we keep on keepin on. Thank you all for your humor and healing gifts.
Healing Gifts I've Received During Recovery:
- visits, phone calls; while in the hospital and since
- cards (oh my gosh, Megan, have you ever seen a funnier/cuter card?! I'm still cracking up)
- flowers (thank you Karen for my weekly supply! I LOVE flowers)
- care for the girls while Ben is at work (thank you Nina, Kendra, Lisa, Angie, Danielle!)
- company/care for me while Ben is at work (thank you Grandma, Nina, Jaymie, Danielle)
- overnight care for the girls once a week (thank you Nina and Matthew!)
- meals delivered - too many to name!
- dinner with company (we love it when you stay to play, Nate and Jodie and Baby Tessa!)
- prayer shawl sennt by my grandfather, given by his friend, the nun
- groceries delivered
- sheets changed (it really is the little things)
- gifts cards to cafes wihin walking distance (motivation to get up and moving!)
- unicorn-get-well-slideshow (thank you Great-Uncle Butch this was a favorite!)
- prayers
- cable/internet service provided (thank you Mom and Dad!)
- breif visits simply to open or close my windows and curtains! (big little things!)
- monetary gifts from friends and family (cash never hurts, 'specially with me out of work and medical bills piling!)
- monetary gifts from people I have never even met!
- house cleaned
- laundry done (thank you Jaymie for putting up with all our crap!)
- rides to dr. appointments
- transportation of the kids to and from caregivers
- living room re-arranged and painted (thank you Alex!! I needed this to lift my spirits)
I know we would not be getting through all this so well if not for these gifts and the love of those who gave them. And yet there are a few people I must single out - those whose support has given me the inspiration to not only keep-on-keepin-on but to live this life to the fullest.
Thank you, Nina, for your constant support in whatever things I have asked and even things I didn't know I needed. Your care-calendar and ever-awareness of our needs has been wonderful! I am so lucky you are my sister and am extremely glad the girls have you to be there for them during this crazy time.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being here for my surgery, and since then for your financial help and emotional support - I know you would be here if you could and appreciate all the creative ways you have made your presense and support available. I am blessed.
Thank you, Grandma, for coming to be with me, I truly enjoy your company and our special connection. I'm glad we have had this time together and look forward to many more good times to come. How 'bout a hellicopter ride in Hawaii, yo?!
Thank you, Jaymie, for your faithful visits, house-cleaning, laundry, dinners, good chats, thrift store trips, etc. I feel lucky to have you come so far each week and spoiled that we get to spend so much time together lately!
Thank you, Kendra, for your weekly commitment to childcare and dinners, your notes help me stay connected to the girls and they love coming to your house. We expecially enjoy Mila's Shane-imitations! I'm lucky you guys moved back into town just in time!
Thank you, Angie, for putting up with my kids' poop ;) and for making your time with my girls enjoyable and educational - I'm jealous, you should take me on a farm feildtrip next time!
Thank you, Lisa, for being flexible, available, and like a second (or third or forth or ?!) mommy for my kids two days a week. You are a faithful friend.
Thank you, Danielle, for being here this month to fill in all the gaps, be everywhere at once and do everything.. ;o) Really you have been the breath of fresh air we desperately needed around here; your food is delicious and nutritious, your music brings inspiration, joy and comfort, and your willing and helpful spirit brings relief.
Thank you, Eden and Mila, for keeping me smiling thoughout it all. You remind me that joy is in the present. You are strong and courageous, creative and sensitive. I'm sorry, none of this is fair for you. Thank you for being so quick to love and forgive. You will be blessed.
And finally, I am so grateful to Ben, for your constant presense during this time. I have been assured by you throughout all this that I am not alone, even if I feel I am. Ben is a rock, he has been tossed around, heated, and shaken so much by the quakes of this past 4 years and especially by the magnitude of this most recent quake, and yet his cracks only reveal true gold at the core. How could I have chosen a better man to spend my life with? I could not. He is the best there is. Ben, I truly am "the luckiest".
Now I know this entry has been pretty serious, maybe even heavy, but I have to finish by adding that the most influential/healing gifts have come in the form of humor. Be it a hilarious card, a blunt/crude remark about cancer issues or sternal precautions, funny storries about my kids and poop, an annonymous check for a ridiculous amount, a dumb joke, a conversation about pinworms, my girls dancing to God knows what, etc. it is just good to be reminded that life is so funny.. really, truly funny, when you stop to think about it. None of us should even be alive, really, when you consider all the possibility for tagedy and demise. And yet we are here, those of us who are still here that is, because for one silly reason or another we keep on keepin on. Thank you all for your humor and healing gifts.
