Update 4/14/10

Dear friends,

The maple tree over my head is poking out green leaves. It's golden hour at 7:20pm, with the light a color that makes you feel like you're in Sherwood Forest, or the woods of the Seven Dwarfs. A few months ago at this time it was pitch black outside. Now I'm looking at my crab apple tree with pink buds that are aching to be blossoms, anticipating the growth that must come as the season changes.

We too are experiencing change. What was once immobile and constrained by injury and darkness is now moving and healing. The faith that was real, but too rested, has been (and is being) stretched. The winter of difficult circumstances gives way to the spring of hope, and eventually to the summer of fruitfulness. If I didn't believe this, I would be curled up in a ball somewhere. But I know it to be true. The Great One always steals victory from the hands of defeat. The cross being the ultimate example. "Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it cannot bear fruit." Back in the fall my crab apple tree looked dead. The little apples fell off, the leaves died. But now there are more buds than ever, and next September there will be more apples for the deer to munch. Nature reminds me all the time of the ways of God. Mysterious and beautiful. Simple and profound at the same time. Even the trees bring Him glory.

Steve got some good news about the scars on his arm from one of the therapists at Sunnyview today. Apparently it's very good that the scar tissue is not attached to the tissue or muscle under the skin. She gave Smitty some kind of adhesive that helps diminish the raised scar tissue and promote skin healing. Steve told me "I don't have enough stuff to have to wear on my arm when I'm trying to sleep, so we got a little more..." If the man can deal with an external fixator (good gravy, that was the nadir!), he can deal with another little scar appliance.

David had to go to the ENT doctor today to get the wax cleared out of his ears. He's one of those kids who has this problem, and goes periodically for an "excavation". Well, I told Dr. Gavin this appointment was anticlimactic compared to all the other doctor visits over the last 5 months. Weird to go for an ordinary medical procedure without lots of questions, papers to fill out, and recounting of events. I still couldn't stand seeing them go into David's ears. It wasn't nearly as bad as when Hannah was extubated, but it was unpleasant none the less.

We have been approached about helping some of the DWI prevention folks with the upcoming prom season. I'll keep you updated as we go along with this. Like I said back in November, the time would come when I would start working toward changes to stop this tornado from smacking someone else's family. Later this month, Oscar Lewis will be sentenced to prison. He knows, as do we, the ultimate consequences of drunk driving. No one knows it like my friend Bill Dikant, who lost his wife and 2 children to an intoxicated driver. It's an elephant in the room and it has to be addressed. It can't be ignored or pushed under some rug. Lives are at stake. People's freedom is at stake. A drunk behind the wheel is driving a loaded weapon. But you already know that...

Thank you for continuing your walk with us along this winding road. I ran into Dr. Rosati yesterday, and was reminded of his words to me "it will take a year to hit some semblance of normal". Not that the year mark will bring us back to where we were. We are changed forever. But we'll keep marching on with this blog til November 8, 2010, unless the Great One shows us otherwise. At some point there will be cake and celebration too. And you will all be invited. Because you are a big part of this recovery. Bigger than you know.

Thanks too for the prayers for Judy W. Keep em' coming, ok? And don't forget to pray for Oscar Lewis and his family.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann