Year coming to an end

With the year coming to an end, I can only look back in awe of this past year. As with anything else in our lives, there have been good times and bad. Greg's recovery from his transplant was nothing short of a miracle in and of itself. Unfortunately, we have lost a couple of friends that have not been so lucky. One friend, James, finally received his miracle but it was short lived and he never made it out of the hospital. Another friend, April, became from her disease (Cystic Fibrosis) and was in the hospital for months; never to leave the hospital again. I have known both of these people almost as long as I have known my own husband. It is because of Greg and his illness that I sought out others with Cystic Fibrosis - to gain knowledge and to learn more about the people inflicted with this disease. Alas, I never thought I would make such great friends and then to hear of these passing - it is sometimes more than my heart can take.

You see, I am the "save the world" type of person. I want to help everyone I can with whatever God has given me. That is my purpose in this life - to help others - including my wonderful husband. But giving does have its price and the emotional bonds that can be created through giving of oneself end up being stronger than anyone can imagine.

So, as I look back on this year, I realize once again that I have grown into a more well-rounded spiritual, physical, and mental human being. We learn from our mistakes and try to do the best with what we have been given. The passing of two very young friends highlights how much of a miracle Greg's transplant truly is and how we should give thanks each and ever day to God for this miracle. It is not that Greg is more special than any other human being - it is just that God has more work for him to do on Earth before he can be granted the rewards of heaven. Maybe it it is to teach us more about compassion for those with illnesses or maybe it is just to hold someone's hand in their time of pain - either way, I am grateful for every second that Greg is here with me...