Truly Thankful

This Thanksgiving seems to be taking on a different feel than most. So much has happened in the past year - and to be honest, so much continues to happen. This summer has been one of the most difficult we have had; and forever it will be lodged within our memories. Difficult times have a way of changing someone; and I have found that to be true in this situation.

I am thankful for so many things in my life; but when we were faced with the news that Rachel was diagnosed with Guillian-Barre syndrome in July, the list of truly important things quickly shortened in my mind. So many things that had been important, even hours before, suddenly did not matter all that much. It has been a difficult recovery - and we still are traveling that road. This past hospital stay the doctors told us that they were certain the original diagnosis of GBS was correct ( a diagnosis that had been debated several times, by several different doctors) based on the issues Rachel continues to have. When I heard that news, I stopped and thought how fortunate we are to have Rachel home and with us this Thanksgiving. If she had a normal case of GBS we still could be visiting her in an ICU ward with breathing tubes still in place keeping her alive. God is good.

So, as we sit around the table this Thanksgiving I am going to be thankful for what I say every year, "I am thankful that we are together as a family once again for another Thanksgiving." But as I finish my turn telling what I am thankful for I am going to look over my family - each one - each face, and I am going to realize how close we came to have that not be a reality this holiday.

Trust you are able to enjoy the holiday wrapped in love of family and friends. This year I will think about how much I take for granted and how small the list really is of the most important things in life. Family is near the top for me. God truly gave us a gift when He made the family. This year, I want to enjoy the gift of family each and every day!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
~Martie

1 comment:

Jackie Koll said...

I read your blog but must have missed post about what the diagnosis was for Rachel - my grandma also had that - we had never heard of it until she was diagnosed with it. It took a while but eventually she was back to almost 100% normal. I hope that Rachel will continue to recover and get back to her normal self soon!