Saturday, February 22, 2014

A Gift

Nothing is as boring to strangers as talking about one's health. But today marks a watershed moment for me, and I wanted to take note of it on my blog.

If I had been born a generation or two earlier, I would have not made it past 45 and might well have died much earlier. And if I hadn't gotten regular check-ups, discovered I had a heart problem, and kept a close eye on it, I would have kicked off around 1995.

But the stars aligned for me. And twenty years ago today, I had heart-valve replacement surgery that gave me a new life. It feels almost too personal a thing to put into a blog post, and maybe it is. But in those two decades, I have written and composed what I think are most of my best works. I got to see my son married and grandchildren grow. I watched as a beloved daughter came of age, played board games with her on the floor while watching "Little House on the Prairie." And I lived to see my work honored in many ways.

If we are lucky and work toward it, we are saved so often and in so many ways during our lifetimes. I wish for you many years of extra time to love and be loved. Nothing else really matters.


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