Reasons to Celebrate

The month of May provides me with many opportunities to celebrate life.

We just returned from a whirlwind trip to Memphis, Tennessee where Charles met with sixteen other graduates from the Whitehaven Class of 1948 for their 70^th reunion. Lots of stories were shared about the original class of 134. The lives of the students were greatly impacted by the Great Depression and the onset of World War II, and although too young to serve, did their part on the home front. May 8 is V-E Day when the Nazi’s surrendered and the war in Europe came to an end. Those who served and those on the home front built their lives around faith, family, and friendships forged during those crucial years.

On May 12, I will celebrate my 20^th liver-versary. No one could have convinced me in 1998 that I would be alive to write about my transplant twenty years later. I’d been too sick for too long. But by the Grace of God and gift of modern medicine, here I am with many good years still ahead. As I wrote in my book, Born Three Times—A New Life, A New Liver, A New Love, “I’ll always be grateful to a family of strangers who decided to donate their loved one’s organs in their time of great loss.” My goal has been to make that sacrifice worthwhile while living a life that honors their memory and honors God.

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday. I am a blessed mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. My life is so much richer because of my two sons and Charles’ son and daughter who treat me like a Mom.  Raising Stuart and Michael was challenging because of our health issues. I was sick with liver disease during their later childhood, and both boys inherited auto-immune issues that they still live with today. All three of us have become faith-filled survivors because of our experiences with poor health. Many of my five granddaughters, four grandsons, and four great-grandchildren live in other states and times together are too few and very special.

Six years ago this month, I started this blog with a desire to connect on social media through short, inspirational articles for people of all ages and especially senior adults. This is blog post #142. Since inception, my blog has been viewed by almost 34,000 people in many countries and all continents. I’m thankful for all of you who take time to read my musings.  Your encouragement is what keeps me writing.

A verse from Psalm 16:11 sums up what is in my heart during this month of celebrations.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

April Showers Bring .....

… Lots of pretty flowers and anniversaries. It’s been a blustery April in north Georgia with lots of rain and wind. Today, however, is one of the most beautiful days of the year so far. April and May are two of my favorite months – springtime days before the heat of summer settles in here in Georgia.

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak at a ladies retreat with the April Showers Bring May Flowers theme.  I shared my testimony and stories from my book Born Three Times.  We talked about how the tough times in life (those April showers) make it possible to bloom like May flowers and bless other people in the process.

There are other things I like to celebrate in May besides the pretty weather. It will soon be seventeen years since I received my second chance at life when a healthy donor liver replaced the diseased liver in my body. It’s with mixed emotions I celebrate my life as I still reflect on the family who made the difficult decision to donate their loved ones liver in May of 1998.  April is National Donate Life Month to encourage people to register to be organ donors and to tell their families about their decision. Please consider checking that box on your driver’s license. Currently, nearly 124,000 men, women and children are awaiting organ transplants in the United States.

My blog anniversary is also in May. In 2012 I started my twice-monthly blog and can’t believe how quickly the months have flown by. This is my number 72 post. I’ve had 15,251 clicks to this date. People from countries all over the world have read what I have written. I want to keep on keeping on and am continually looking for new ideas. Your input is always appreciated.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and it’s another reason to celebrate in May. My own mother has been gone for twenty-eight years and the older I get find myself imitating her in some of my ways. Being a mother to two adult sons and grandmother to five grandchildren continues to fill my life with challenges and blessings. As a step-mother to Charles’ two children and his grandchildren, my life has grown in ways I never imagined.

Celebrate those April showers and May flowers God has placed in your life and share those blessings with others.

“For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”
Song of Solomon 2:11-12