Just about 3 years ago after my diagnosis I found myself being helped up to the countertop of my jeweler Swansons in Arlington. My family has known them for years and they were my clients too. I haved worked in their home over the years, plus I decorated their showroom.
Well, back on point 🙂 My brother brought me in that day because steroid from treatment caused my entire body to bloat. My ring was so tight that my finger was turning color. So, Mr. Swanson looked so compassionalely at me as my brother held my hand in place and he had to cut it into 2 peices to get it off. They even had to use two sets of plyers to get it off of my finger. They were so careful not to hurt me. Beautiful people, and my older brother is a saint.
The two halves have been in the little jewelry bag for 3 years. Well 2 weeks ago I took a covert operations trip there to Swansons all by my onesies and left it with them for repair. Today, I picked it up after its repair and tonight I will have my wife slip it back onto my finger 🙂 It almost our 29 wedding anniversary so I felt it would make for a beautiful moment. I am a blessed man.
That little gold ring represents something totally irreplaceable. It represents my commitment to my greatest God given gift. It also serves as a reminder of what true unselfish love and sacrafice looks like. God in action. My beautiful wife Janet. Amen!
I was very glad to see the rain recently whereas everything has been so parched. Rain sets the stage for change in so many ways…
Rain can alter your mood. In a positive or negative way.
Rain can slow down our out door plans and make us change course in our days. Not a bad thing sometimes.
Rain changes the smell of the air outside making nature seem like it is renewed. Just the sound of the rain falling seems to be a healing factor of sorts.
Rain makes me personally contemplate everything. Last Sunday was a day of heavy contemplation. Being connected to my feelings and my God. I was thinking to myself how small we are in relations to this thing called life. I had been to church Saturday and my wife and I were having a typical weekend. Church, family etc. We also visited a family friend in the hospital Saturday which required a lot of walking for me. Mary is a wonderful family friend who is suffering from a severe infection in her left leg so she was having her leg amputated on Monday at 3:00 p.m. My wife and I spent time talking to her and reassuring her that God’s got her and will take care of her. As my wife and I entered her hospital room that day she began to cry and buried her face into her hands, she said you came and reached for my wife and looked and said a miracle is here as she cried and reached for me. I hugged and kissed her and said are you worried? She said yes but she said she had prayed and asked Jesus to please guide her with her medical decisions. She was at peace with the Doctors thoughts on this matter. I asked her what time the surgery was and she responded Monday at 3:00 I said Mary, that’s great that is the Lord’s hour. I told her that I would say the chaplet of Divine Mercy for her on Monday. I got up this morning and was eating breakfast by 5:45 am today / Sunday.On my way out, I placed my hand on her head and my wife and I prayed for her needs . I knew full well that God had her and her family in the palm of his hand.
I had decided that Sunday, I was not leaving the house at all. I was tired from the running that I had done all week so I began my regimen of reading, praying and interacting with my family, dad , etc.
I found myself reading about the illness that I have been living through namely non surgical Glio 4
From there, I turned on the television and the news was all about Beau Biden who passed from GLIO BLASTOMA as well. By the way Glio took Ted Kennedy too.
My cancer was non surgical grade four of the central nervous. Thats why I am considered a miracle in this moment.
I turned the tv up to listen to the Dr’s Grimm description of the illness and its nearly 100 percent death probability. And just thought to myself, I have heard this so many times. Yes, I do think of the statistics surrounding this desease from time to time and yes, I know it could come back someday to me too. But, I do not dwell in a house that sees and worries about things that only God controls. I have had a main focus since diagnosis in my life and it has been to love my family, my friends, my God and to do be something positive to this world and to help those who are dealing with their own life challenges. I set goals for myself to reach sometimes that have been too lofty as I have am coming to learn. My time table was not realistic. But, that what a hopeful outlook can do. It believes in only in the good possibilities.
I am not giving up on setting goals or expectations for myself I am just remembering that I need to be more realistic as to what I can and cannot currently do.
BTW, Mary had surgery on Monday and is doing well. The surgeon will be seeing her today. She remains positive and from what I have been told has a long road ahead.
Finally, I met with a friend that I had not seen for 3 years yesterday for lunch at a local restaurant. Dave and I caught up and he is a wonderful man of faith who belongs to Grace chapel. We talked about life and its many twists and turns. We talked about faith and our love for our Lord and his blessings upon us all.
I told him that we need to cut ourselves slack in this life to pick up the peices of our dissapointments and move on knowing that Gods got it and create a new creature in us all. If we just trust.
Fr. Leo Clifford . What a gift that he was given and he shared with us all. Amen…
Listen , learn and love.
Please pray for Mary M today. Mary had here left leg amputated today at @ 3:00 pm. I offered up the Divine Mercy Chaplet for her at that time. She is a lovely lady of faith and was accepting her situation knowing that the Blessed Mother and Jesus would be with her Amen.
Just Danny Speaks 