strength in the storm.
5:43 PM
Last year my brother-in-law was in a near-fatal motorcycle
accident. This last weekend he was, horribly, in another motorcycle accident.
It feels weird sitting at the hospital again, in the same
ICU waiting room as last year—a space that had slowly started to fade from memory,
fuzzing into what felt like simply a terrible nightmare from long ago. But now
that nightmare is back, and we find ourselves playing the waiting game yet
again.
But this time it’s different. Last year,
it was Mike’s body we were praying to heal. This time, it’s
his mind.
And that makes it completely different. The worry is
different. The frustration is different. The pain is different. The fear is different.
It also makes the hope different. It’s
a hope that goes beyond the physical body and to the spiritual body. Our focus and hope is now on the
spirit and the soul. Hope we will get back the Mike we all know and love.
And that has made me reflect on who we all really are. We
are more than flesh and blood—it is our spirit that makes us truly unique. Who we
are is really made up of choices and experiences and thoughts and dreams and the determination to always move forward
and to love.
The strength of my family these last few days has been
tested, and, in my opinion, they are each coming out victorious. It is a
strength that has drawn us closer together.
My family and family friends have been so inspiring—they have looked beyond the heartbreaking
tragedy and instead focused on the little, beautiful moments happening amidst
this pain. They have concentrated on the positive when the darkness has loomed.
And they each have been a remarkable reminder that we have the power to choose
our outlook. That we can choose to let go of thoughts that will destroy us, and
hold on to the ones that will encourage us. We have the power to decide that we
will always look for the silver lining, and find strength in the goodness of
love.
Of course it is terrifying—not knowing the future. Waiting
as each second ticks slowly by. But courage comes in many forms. It does not
always show itself boldly and loudly; sometimes it is simply the act of standing
when you want to collapse. Smiling when you want to cry. And loving when you
want to despair.
After all, our attitude is half our reality. And that is the
only half we can control.
It has been said that once you walk through a storm, you
will not leave it the same person you were when you entered. But who you are in
the storm, and who you emerge as from the storm is your choice—no matter how hard the storm
rages. And no matter what this tragedy brings, I have felt the love, kindness,
hope, and strength of family and friends that gives me the peace to know we will all be
ok...because we have each other.
2 comments
Beautiful as always Danielle! I hope that Mike will come out of it as healthy as always. Sending your family lots of love!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Susie! Your support means a lot to all of us!
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