Hard to believe, but true......this is the final day of 2011! I must admit, that in spite of the many changes that occurred, it was truly a wonderful year! So much so, in fact, that I really want to hold on to it another day, another week, etc. When I look back and compare it to the ending of 2009 and 2010, I am reminded how difficult those years were with Lee's illness and subsequent lung transplant. We were both grateful to close those years and looked forward to the new ones approaching.
20ll has been kind to us. Sure, we have a few more wrinkles, and we sometimes have a few more aches and pains. The usually easy tasks have become a bit more time-consuming, and the strength and endurances are waning. Even though there have been the unwelcome frailities of aging, we have had a very good year. We have seen Lee's strength returning and it has indeed been a joy to return to some of the old familiar routines of our lives. What a joy to have been able to celebrate another Christmas with our families! We were blessed with our children and grandchildren for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In addition, we had some celebrations with other family members and with our friends. We felt as though we had stepped back in time to that period in our lives when all was well.
How priviledged we are to live in the twenty-first century that has advanced in medical care to the point of providing second chances at life. Lee and I realize that had we been living in the late twentieth century, our lives would be quite different. There would have been no chance for a lung transplant. He would have been diagnosed as terminal and that would have been the end of his life as he knew it.
We welcome this New Year with renewed spirit and a determined fortitude to keep Lee strong and healthy. We will do everthing in our power to make his lung transplant a success. Along with that, Lee has a "bucket list", and most of this is centered around being with his family and friends. He has made a committment to "Lifeshares of the Carolinas". He wants to volunteer to speak publicly on behalf of organ donors. It was his wish this Christmas to forego gifts from his family and accept donations to the Lifeshares program. He was delighted to find that all his children and others honored his request.
May each of you have the Happiest of New Year's for 2012!
More Later....................Brenda
No comments:
Post a Comment