Monday, April 05, 2010

Carryin the Load

Having surgery and the resulting helplessness you feel stinks. But you know what helps make that burden a little worrisome? The beautiful act of friends and family helping carry the load.

An emergency appendectomy just wasn't on my agenda last week. I have my first big event of the year this week in Colorado and believe me when I say I have plenty on the To-Do list without adding "removal of organ" to the mix. But, we don't always get to choose what happens to us and thus I found myself on a gurney being wheeled into an operating room last Monday. And as I was being prepped for surgery and was under the influence of some la-la juice, I apparently informed the surgical team that I had to help my eight year old make 50 indian arrows out of clay (including popsicle sticks and feathers and hot glue) for a school project on Wednesday. This was information I obviously felt was important to share with a group of people who were about to take a gander at my insides.

The next day, my husband was retelling that story (which the doctor laughingly relayed to him) to my friend Jodie who had come to visit. That's when I witnessed an amazing sight. That woman's gears got to churnin and within two minutes time she and Keith had formulated an alternate plan for Daniel's project and she grabbed her keys and rushed out the door. My dear friend then spent her afternoon shopping for materials before texting me asking what kind of pizza my family would like for dinner. (I'm not even finished) After picking me up from the hospital upon my discharge (so Keith could stay with the boys), I arrive home to find the project underway, pizza, salad and cookies for dessert all provided by this angel parading around in Jodie's body.

And I'm blessed to say she's not the only angel in our lives. There is Wendy who selflessly took two boys for the night at a moment's notice when we found out I was having surgery--and trust me, a night with Jacob can be a test for your sanity at times. There are the friends like Jeremy and Heather who came to visit and to pour sunshine into a gloomy gray hospital room. There were flowers and calls and endless Facebook messages of care and concern. There were friends like Melissa who live hours away who offered to come and stay and inlaws that offered to come to offer support. There are friends who have signed up to bring food and those who have simply called asking "what can I do?"

I must say, whether it was a kind "I am praying for you" or an in person gesture... it all makes such a big difference. Having surgery is a scary thing-- no matter how non-life threatening the situation. And the pain and recovery is a daunting task when faced with all the pressures life hands you on a daily basis. But there is nothing, I mean nothing, like knowing you have a generous network of support standing by to carry the load.

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