Perspective

Today was quite a different day from yesterday. Yesterday started off with fear, grim outlooks, and difficult news. Today was filled with glimmers of hope, peace, and a healthy dose of perspective. Last week my mom was home, and if I had looked forward to see where she's at today, I would have thought today looked horrible. Today my mom is intubated, can't talk, has a staph infection in the bloodstream, and is confined to an ICU bed. But when I compare today to yesterday's events? Well, today is wonderful. My mom is alive. The fever is gone. She is alert. She is communicating. Yes, she is working hard to breathe. Yes, she is uncomfortable and at times in pain. Yes, she still has an open wound and is battling a staph infection. BUT, she is ALIVE and she is ready to fight with all that she has. Perspective sure changes things. I will never take another day for granted. And I will always have a thankful heart for the times I get to spend with her.

I feel like we witnessed a miracle yesterday. We prayed and we watched all of her vital signs slowly move back into a normal range. I am so grateful and humbled by all of the prayers and support shown to us. Those prayers have literally carried us through. So thank you. Very, very much.

This morning I was sitting by my mom's side. She had her eyes closed and my dad was snoozing in the recliner next to the bed. I was quietly reflecting on the last several hours when the lyrics to a hymn from my childhood popped into my head. I grabbed my mom's notebook and pencil and quickly wrote them out. I propped the note next to my mom so she could read them when she woke up. Half and hour later, she opened her eyes and reached for my note. She teared up and wrote a note underneath in response. It read, "These are the lyrics that got me through Hodgkin's Lymphoma so many years ago. Thank you for reminding me."

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone

Because I know He holds my future

And life is worth the living, just because He lives

I'm going to go to bed tonight knowing I can face tomorrow.

PS--In other news, Hannah lost her first tooth tonight! She is so excited for the tooth fairy to visit tonight. I'll post pics tomorrow. :)