today is day 3 of my 30 days of thanks adventure.
so far i really like it. (a) it means that i’m actually blogging every day, and (b) it makes me take time to think of something great each day.
i’m marking today with being thankful for my family. of course everyone is thankful for family, but i feel particularly so today because of some sad news my mother has received.
this weekend my mother drove out to kansas to see her father because he was in the hospital with a gall bladder infection. while normally it’s not a big deal, they don’t think he’ll survive the surgery to remove it. they’re trying a few things first, but we’re not sure. yesterday she found out that her brother went to the hospital with chest pain and they found that he has advanced heart disease that they probably cannot fix. so in the course of 3 days she finds out that her dad and brother are both in serious danger of dying.
neither my grandfather nor my uncle are particularly strong presences in my life, so while i’m upset, it’s not devastating. however, it is really difficult for my mother. thankfully my brother and father are at home and being very good to her, but i’m 2000 miles away and it’s difficult.
it’s just making me think about how dependent i am on my parents and how much i love my family. i’m not terribly close with my extended family, but my parents and brother are so wonderful and a huge part of my life. i would be lost without them.
i also found out yesterday that one of my closest childhood friends is dealing with something heartbreaking – her mother’s cancer is terminal. so she quit grad school to spend as much time as she can with her mother. my heart is breaking for her.
you don’t choose your family. they are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.
– desmond tutu
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