Heartfelt Gratitude

I have much to be thankful for in my life; comfortable living, my health, supportive family and friends, and many simple joys I am lucky to be a part of each day.  But this year brought some interesting ups and downs that have made me especially thankful for life and how precious it really is.

Earlier in the year, during the early morning hours of March 29th, my second son Devin was born.  He was a healthy baby ready to grow and learn about his surroundings.  From very early on he's had an intense gaze that lets you know he's really studying whatever catches his eye.  He's strong and will wiggle right out of your arms if you don't hold on.  For almost four months he seemed like a typical developing baby.  Then we discovered he had a very large hole in his heart.

There was an outpouring of emotional support for our family that helped me to be a little less scared inside.  I heard and read amazing stories from others about the children in their lives that had heart issues.  I listened to the pediatric cardiologists tell me how not that long ago, in my parents' lifetime, children with heart issues were sent home with their parents and told if he lives he lives, if he dies he dies.  Devin would never have made it if he was born during those times; he needed open heart surgery and was quickly failing to thrive.

On the day of Devin's surgery I couldn't help but think about the things I was grateful for.  I also couldn't stop thinking about the children and their parents who lived during an age when today's medical advances did not exist.  For if it was not for their precious hearts, our doctor and the doctors before him would not have been able to help Devin.

Devin is now a happy seven month old on the verge of figuring out how to crawl.  My eyes can't believe how much he's grown, my ears can't believe the words he's babbling, and my hands can't express how grateful they are for the heartbeats they feel.

I'll be sharing more grateful things on my Facebook page this month.  Join me in the 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge.  You'll be thankful you did!