2016.....Looks Like We Made It

Ours is not an easy life.

It is a life full of anxiety, fear, isolation, loneliness, intrusion, boredom, exhaustion, anger, abject sadness and grief.  It is a life that is physically and emotionally draining that can suck the happiness and satisfaction out of your soul.  It is a faith breaking questioning experience.

I wouldn’t wish this existence on anyone.

I know how we make it; I don’t know how others do it.  People in other countries, people in other states, people in other cities have strokes.  I don’t know how they survive.

We survive, we thrive, we live life because of our support system.  We have a good life because of that support system.  I don’t know how people do this alone.

We have four remarkable women who care for Marty and I every day.  Nykkie, Erica, Renee and La Shonda are an omnipresent part of our life.  They are with us every day, every moment, high and low.  These women make our daily lives better; I don’t know how people do this alone.

Our care givers, our family, parents, children, grandchildren, siblings have been remarkable in their patience and love.  Our health care support has been remarkable in their care, availability and love.  When you add it up, and I did, weird guy that I am, there are well over 50 people, 50 loving, amazing people, 50 family, friends, clergy, doctors, nurses, administrators who care for Marty, who care for me, who support us in our daily lives.  

How many people get to say they have 50 care givers?

I don’t know how others do it; I don’t get how they make it without the help.  Without each and every one of those people who care for Marty, who care for me, who make me exercise, who feed Marty, who play golf, who listen to her breathe, who get us into see Great and Wise, who offer comfort, who offer wisdom, who offer love our hard life would not be a life at all.

Because we have people who draw blood who wipe chins who offer God’s blessings who watch over us who pray for us our life, our life is an actual living breathing miracle.

If you ever ask yourself the question, “How does this amazing Marty’sHusband do it?”  Well, first you have a warped sense of amazing and second it’s a matter of support, it is all of the people who do it, it’s the family, the friends, the care givers who do it, that’s how you make a life livable in difficult circumstances.

On this first day of a new year I want to say thank you.  I want to say thank you to Nykkie, Erica, Renee and La Shonda.  I want to say thank you to Matt, Erin, Lyle, Sarah, Noah, Lily, Emma and little Lucy.  I want to say thank you to Larry Sr. and Bettye Lou and Martha, Jeb, John, Liz, Ken, Kate, Lee, Will, Jerry, Luan, Kelly, Bill and Berkley.  I want to say thank you to Great and Wise, Melissa, Jessica, Angie, Annetta, Patsy, Pey, Maydee, Keith, Leslie, Ann, Steve, Dee Dee, Gretchen, Robbie, Skip, Pete, Dean, Sheryl, Tom,  Dick, Sue, Elizabeth, John, Andrew, Leah, David, Amanda, Jackie, Bob, Aemelia, Joe and the countless others who love us, who pray for us, who think of us and who in so many ways support us.

Our life, at times, is full of really bad stuff.  I spend time afraid, unrelentingly anxious, isolated and angry. 

 My personal faith does not allow me to believe God put us here to test us, to make us feel this way, I don’t think God was leading us to this spot.  I do believe, my faith demands that we understand that God has put all of you in our lives to give us faith and show us love.

Our life at all times is full of love and I got news for you, love really does make all of that other stuff manageable.  

Thank you for making a difficult life better, thank you for caring for my bride, thank you for caring for me.