It's Here Again.....And So Am I!

It's sometimes hard to believe. I stare in amazement as I unwrap each carefully tissued and cushioned precious ornament from the box that has been resting in the attic since last January.

This time a year ago, I was sick with what I thought was the flu. As it turned out, certain enzymes that are indicated in liver disease were quite elevated (775 where the norm is 90-120) and warranted cat scans and perhaps a liver biopsy. The initial visit to a surgeon was on Dec 22, my 52nd birthday. I sobbed the whole way home. Talk about scared!

I was totally stressed, having just gone through report cards, and writing and performing the "Seasonal Concert" at school. I held it together throughout Christmas and took a leave in January to deal with whatever loomed before me. Liver Disease...yikes...people die from that and it didn't look pretty on the internet search which perhaps I should not have done. I cried all over the keyboard.

I tried to keep things in perspective as I slowly and sadly packed up the decorations and returned them to the attic. My tears flowed as I couldn't help thinking that I might never see these beautiful ornaments again. But then I thought how joyful it would if I did. Little did I know what would happen next.

On Feb. 23rd, I had what doctors called a mild MI, a heart attack. I was lucky that there was no heart muscle damage and they put a stent into one clogged artery. Things have stabilized and I am enjoying a more simplified lifestyle. I still don't know what might happen but I'm doing the best I can.

As I unwrapped the first ornament this year, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was connecting full circle to my state of mind when I'd put these away. Indeed, I have lived to do this again. I must be blessed.

If I feel as if holiday preparations are stressing me out, I remind myself that I could just as easily be watching this from somewhere else beyond this earthly dwelling. Whenever I feel like I'm going to complain about the hurried tasks of the season, I quickly intercept with a thought about how much I value even the opportunity to have these jobs to do.

Yes, that time of year is here ...count me in!

Mother of Invention, convinced that I can still see the tearstains on the tissue paper, which perhaps nudged me to share this story.