As you have probably guessed, Dave is doing well, and his blood counts have been very promising. His hemoglobin has been slow to gain a normal status, but that is not unusual for one whose body has been through about as much as Rocky I, II and III. I will say this…he is gaining weight and looking pretty buff. In fact, after he lifts weights, does his bench dips and jumps rope, he looks better than Sylvester Stallone did in Rocky III. He is not quite 200 pounds, but getting pretty darn close. And when we went from a toilet paper shortage to a meat shortage, that made me a little worried. Luckily, our freezer was replenished by family and a close friend when news leaked that I was becoming nervous about the shortage.

But a while back, toilet paper was not so easily replenished, not even if one was willing to pay top dollar for a 12-pack of Charmin. And, knowing that everyone is taking this pandemic very seriously and staying home, I thought it might be timely to share a humorous story about a toilet paper theft.

While in Florida back in March, Dave and I self-quarantined with the neighbors on each side of us. There is a simple explanation for this. Because our daily activities had involved our four neighbors since January, it was natural for it to continue through this lockdown that we were all experiencing. We were like a family of six.

Early one morning, I went walking with Diane and Joanna. Early to me is 8:30, but early to the two of them is 5:30 a.m. Needless to say, they were both out in the driveway waiting for me. I hustled to meet them and the first thing out of their mouths was that someone had broken into Diane’s house and stole toilet paper. “What. You are kidding me, right?” I replied as I controlled my laugh. I mean, c’mon – who would do such a thing? Well, I took off at a quick clip, keeping in front of the two of them as they discussed who could have done it. I just couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

After discovering the toilet paper theft around 6 a.m. that morning, Diane checked her security cameras, called several neighbors and alerted her friends. She had everyone checking to see if their toilet paper was swiped, too! Joanna texted her husband and asked him to scan their cameras as well. Maybe they could catch someone unusual on someone’s security cameras. Diane called the girls down the street and told them to keep an eye out and make sure to lock the doors. I was listening and laughing because it was just getting funnier and funnier.

Then, they questioned me and asked if it was possible if the workers, who had been helping us with a bathroom remodel, could have done it. I quickly said, “Oh no. I am very sure that they would never do something like that.” I was still staying ahead of them because it was pretty rude that I lacked the concern they both had — but it was “gut-wrenching” funny. As we were about to cross at the stop sign, they looked at each other and wondered if they should get the police involved. Could you imagine what that conversation was going to sound like?

I was close to doubled over by now because I was laughing so hard. And then, I had to fess up. I took the toilet paper the night before and hid it in Diane’s closet. I’m not sure what possessed me at the time to do a prank like that. But there, out in the open for all to see, was a stack of four rolls just waiting to be hidden. So — I did it.

Now I wouldn’t suggest that you pull this prank on just anyone. Nor should you go into anyone’s freezer and deplete his or her stock of meat. But I have found that a lot of good has come out of our slower-paced lives. Dave and I laugh every day about some of the silliest things. And we never forget to count our blessings and pray for everyone we know to stay safe and stay healthy.

And by the way, I did ask God to forgive me for my prank as the toilet paper bandit. I’m pretty sure He laughed about it, too.

I listened to a recently released song by Natalie Grant, and it gripped me to my very soul. I was statue-still as I closed my eyes and hung on every word, every phrase, every verse. Not only are the lyrics apropos for our recent pandemic challenges, it is as if it was written for Dave and my challenges almost a year ago. The song, “My Weapon (Sacred Version)” is more than timely, because there is a story that I’ve been waiting to write about. To think that the story that I’m about to tell happened almost a year ago is incredible. In the past year, Dave and I have gone from learning that the cancer would take his life to the miracle of remission. Then he experienced yet another life-saving bone marrow transplant, only to have the weight-depleting mouth sores plague him. After all of that healing, we now side-step and dance around COVID 19, staying home and staying safe. Well, I knew there would be a time to share our God moment with you, and the time is now.

June 3, 2019 began as if the day before had never ended. Dave was rushed to the hospital and was immediately admitted. The days and nights blurred into each other, as Dave’s elevated fever and blood counts were beginning to tell a grim story. We knew that his cancer had returned. Rather than guess how bad this was becoming, another bone marrow biopsy would give us succinct results.

Alex, our nurse practitioner, was slated to do the procedure, which would be her first bone marrow biopsy with Dave. I was a little apprehensive. Alex is about 6’1″ and was a college volleyball player. We loved her competitive nature the moment we met her, but to be perfectly honest, she looks like she should still be in college. It was hard to imagine she had enough experience to even do a biopsy. She raised the hospital bed to its full height, which put Dave eye to eye with me. He rolled to his side as instructed and waited for the pain of the first numbing needle. We clasped hands and he began to squeeze. She created a circle of numbness with the knitting-sized needle, calmly talking to Dave and telling him every move she would make before each insertion. A single tear rolled down his cheek.

“Squeeze my hand honey; give me the pain,” I said as I watched the tear hit the pillow. He opened his eyes and calmly said, “I just saw God.” In a sudden panic, I squeezed his hands and with tears in my eyes, I said, “Don’t you leave me now.” Reverently, Dave shook his head and said, “No, He’s watching over us.” And then he closed his eyes again.

“Please take his pain, please take his pain,” I prayed over and over in my head. I also asked God to guide Alex’s hands, bless this biopsy and continue to watch over us. I carefully watched Dave’s face to see signs of pain and the agony when the biopsy drill was going into his bone. His grip lessened and his face softened…and I prayed. I prayed. I prayed the same words over and over again. “Please take his pain, let him feel no pain.”

Alex continued to recite her every move, but I was lost in prayer and holding onto Dave for dear life. I’m sure I have never prayed with such desperation as I did that day. And when Alex finished and put the compact dressing on, Dave rolled to his back to keep pressure on the wound and minimize bleeding. He looked into my eyes and told me of his vision of God. Dave said He was overlooking above us. “A brilliant, intense light surrounded Him – it was a blinding white but distinct vision – which I can’t even explain. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. It was kind of calm and peaceful,” Dave said.

But what was most amazing was Dave did not feel the pain that accompanies a bone marrow biopsy. It was a dull pressure, but not the agony he has experienced so many times. And in the months that followed and in his critical condition, he did not feel pain. When he should have been withering in pain from the widespread cancer, he felt no pain because the presence of God was his weapon.

Place this song in your heart and apply it to our challenges today. I know that, “My Weapon, (Sacred Version)” will help us to stand firm in the middle of this storm. We can’t always see the invisible enemy, but with prayer as a priority and not a last resort…

...Let every storm be tamed
And all that come against us
Be bound in Jesus’ name.

My Weapon by Natalie Grant

I began this post full of hope and joy in my heart. I had so many wonderful events that we accomplished in February and I was anxious to share them with you. Unfortunately, on the day I was ready to post, Dave was hospitalized. I didn’t want to share the news that he ran a fever, spent 36 hours in the emergency room and was then admitted for pneumonia. The good news was hospital personnel tested for COVID-19, and it was negative. The bad news was that March roared in like a lion. His loud noise brought us back to reality and reminded us that this pandemic put Dave at a higher risk than most.

The widespread of COVID-19 and the sudden ramifications thrust upon our nation delayed yet another posting. As we prayed the virus would not mirror the curve of infection witnessed in China or Italy, we knew we needed to make a difficult decision. Do we stay grounded in Florida, or do we drive back to Michigan? For now, we are staying put in the Sunshine State. Whether we are self-quarantined in Florida or Michigan, it really doesn’t matter.

So, before I share with you all of the exciting things we have accomplished in 2020, I wanted to let you know that Dave is feeling better each day as he recuperates from pneumonia. His weight is steady, and he is back to riding his bike and doing resistance band work. His cough is subsiding and he hasn’t had a fever since March 5. All good news.

Now onto what I wanted to share with you three weeks ago. Some call it a bucket list — a list of things they want to accomplish before one dies. We call it a celebration list because this is a new beginning. We have surpassed the six-month mark since Dave’s last bone marrow transplant. The month of February tops the list of, as Dave says, “gettin’ it done.” 

But March has slowed life to a screeching halt. Maybe it is God’s way of saying we needed to slow down. We need to prioritize. I have so much more to say about that, but that topic will fuel my next post. For now, here is a recap of our journey thus far.

• First of three rounds of vaccinations.
• Skiing at Boyne with Ryan, Amy and grandkids.
• Refereed a basketball game in his 40th season on the court.
• Spend time in Florida watching college baseball.
• Attend Tigers’ spring training in Lakeland.
• Michelle joined Sacred Heart choir in Punta Gorda.
• Self-quarantined in Florida.

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The United States declared a public health emergency because of the coronavirus. The declaration had me reflecting on the scare we experienced in Seattle last April. My post on April 9, informed everyone that Dave was diagnosed with the coronavirus and was in isolation at The University of Washington Medical Center. Anyone entering the room was required to wear a full yellow gown, rubber gloves and a mask with a shield. It was quite a costume and very cumbersome. It was hard to breath all day long with that garb, so I would take breaks from the room just to get a breath of fresh air.

Dave was quarantined for 12 long days. I realized how serious the coronavirus was at the time, but he was too sick to comprehend why he was isolated. On the 13th day, when the doctors all walked in without gowns, I couldn’t believe how different they looked. I mean, for 12 days all that I saw were their eyes through the shield. Suddenly, I could see their entire faces, with cheeks, lips and even smiles. It felt like I was meeting all of them again for the first time.

In my blog, I’ve shared one of three times that we just had to break the rules a little to keep Dave from jumping out of the window. The first time was while he was isolated, which was probably the worse thing that could happen to one who is claustrophobic. On April 17, I wrote…

Staying in bed for long periods of time is very difficult for Dave. Especially when he is healthy, he just doesn’t slow down for long. So, one can imagine that the last 12 days drove him crazy. In fact, at one point when he was in isolation, he was determined to leave the room. He just needed to walk around and experience freedom. At 2 a.m., I stood at the door, arms outstretched, blocking his way. Reminding him he was quarantined, I soon realized that nothing was going to stop him. He walked out of the room, went to the right and kept going. I walked out right behind him and went to the left. I didn’t want to be a part of him getting busted.

We laugh about this now because there was no stopping Dave. Weeks later, when Dave was in the hospital for the CAR T-Cell infusion, he was hooked up to a heart monitor called a “tellie.” The machine monitored his every move, with a technician assigned to watch his stats from a “tellie” room. Anytime the technician would lose contact, several staff members would come crashing through the door to see if his heart had stopped. Every time it happened, it was just from one of the eight connections that came loose. Luckily, his reprieve from the “tellie” happened once a day for his shower.

Well it just so happened that on a warm, sunny day just after his shower, we took a secret walk to the second floor, slipped out the cafe door and made it out into the warm fresh air. At the risk of someone from our floor spotting us, we darted back up to his room without being missed. We buzzed for the nurse and had the “tellie” hooked back up again. Mission accomplished.

The third time escaping his room was by far the most funny trick that we tried to pull. During “shower time” again, I made his bed up to make it look like he was taking a nap. I went to great lengths making sure that it looked just like Dave. I even placed his baseball cap askew on his pillow, as if it was covering his eyes. But, this time we didn’t get away with it. We were caught red-handed before we could take a stroll outside to get fresh air. Good thing our nurse had a sense of humor.

These days, Dave has been out riding his bike anywhere from 7-10 miles a day. The fresh air and sunshine has been good for him and is helping with recovery. Meals are going well. He is sleeping better, and we are looking forward to the start of spring training. He has no need to sneak around and outwit the best of the best.

When we decided retirement from education was within reach, my good friend, John, gave me pinpoint advice. He said everyone has two fingers, with each finger representing ten years. Basically, we have 20 years once we retire when we are still heathy enough to enjoy life after work. We can travel and do all of the things we dreamed about doing. He urged us to not waste our two fingers. 

What a person never expects is that one’s health might become a roadblock. But we hear it happening all of the time. Dave retired from education almost five years ago, and I retired almost four years ago. We have spent that time being responsible for Dave’s mom, who is 84, and for Grandpa Yoas, who is almost 106. In the midst of all that, the last two years of battling cancer sent travel plans awry. I’m sorry to say that we are down to 1 1/2 fingers now. 

Not wanting to be selfish but knowing one of two fingers seems to be a shortened stub, we are heading out to do what we have dreamed of doing. We have dubbed it our celebration list. Warm weather is calling us, cross-country travel is on our map and attending Tigers’ spring training has always been on our line-up card. Designing the list of where the wind would blow us was fun. Figuring out how and when was a bit more challenging. Because Dave is still being closely monitored at Karmanos, we also have to fit in appointments with his doctor. Also, wandering too far from home also means designing a quick return if needed. 

Yet, those roadblocks are minor compared to our prior path. So, forging ahead is exciting and also such a blessing. With Dave’s blood counts holding steady, his energy returning and his weight continuing to increase, we will begin checking things off our celebration list. I will continue to share our exciting journey because the entire Tag Team deserves to enjoy it as well. Your prayers and support have meant the world to us. So, we are off and running because there’s no time to waste.

As we look to the coming year, 2020, we peek over our shoulders at 2019 and the significance of a series of events. Dave and I received this email today, and honestly, it choked us up to the point where tears were rolling down our faces. We couldn’t summarize these words any better. As I have in the past, I felt the need to share this letter we received from a close friend. It is long, but I encourage you to forge forward and read it to the end. By the way, Kleenex are needed.

“IF” you’re anything like me

On this day, the last day of the 2010’s (I’m getting old, it happened quickly too), I felt compelled to write down some of the things that meant the most to me in this decade. I thought about some of the things that I learned from and will try to take with me as I continue to try to improve daily for the following year.  I owe that back, and then some.

I thought about starting a teaching career, the next gen gym, countless 5-9 year olds who changed my life. I love those kids and could never forget them if I tried. I thought about Pleasant Ridge Elementary School and how incredible my teaching family was in bringing me along as an educator. How they impacted me daily and the journey to becoming their friend. I will always, always try to make them proud. I thought about my family, my friends and how lucky I am to be surrounded by incredible people in my life. 

I think about #45 and what he meant to me. How 8-8-12 changed our lives. How he had my back, how he loved everyone and challenged us to do the same. How losing him was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through and how wearing his number on my back brings him closer to me in my every day life. Man, I miss that dude. He was the best. Love you Boyer man.

I think about countless summer mornings in the weight room with dedicated young people. How relationships are built in that room, incredible really. I will always be so proud of those kids. 

I think about a 2014 state championship run in football, falling one game short, a 2016 run to the finals in Baseball and what an incredible game that was. We were so close. Then in 2017 culminating all the great players and people in our program with the ultimate prize, a State Championship, incredible. Our coaching staff talks about it often, they were a team for the ages, we would give anything to go back and go through that again. What a blast to be with those kids, they loved each other and wouldn’t accept anything less than a championship. They have it for life. Congrats boys you deserve it and I’ll always be in your corner.

I thought about countless other things. I remembered a special trip to Omaha for my dad and for our family, how incredible that run was, thank you Michigan baseball. It’s amazing how a game can rally a group of people, a general theme here. I thought about my sister bringing two family members into the world, succeeding in her career like no bodies business and having the best parts of life challenge me and accept me all at the same time. It’s true what they say, a lot can happen in a decade.

What’s funny is, when you finally sit down to think about it all and the rush of emotions that come back to you. How you remember the littlest of things that happened along your time during 10 years of life. How something little like the poem by Rudyard Kipling and how much it’s helped me. The poem is titled “if”. He writes beautifully to his son about what life may bring him and how to handle situations. It’s a poem my dad gave me and lead me towards as I went through my struggles and how to handle yourself in all situations regardless of the outcome. 

He writes

“If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue

Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch”

These words spoke to me, I mean really spoke to me. They taught me that whatever happens in life, good, bad or in-different that the most important things are to surround yourself with great people, be humble, appreciative and kind. More simply, to never lose the common touch. To laugh, cry and be a part of something that is more than yourself is the most important thing in each day. 

He continues…

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings

and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew 

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the WILL which says to them: Hold on!”

WOW! I mean, goosebumps right?! IF those words don’t hit you I don’t know what will. I had those words hanging in my room in college and they have been a sense of pride for me ever since and I often refer to them as we all have moments in our life when we need a jumpstart. 

As I sit here today, the last day of 2019, heck the decade. I read those words and can’t help but think about #teamtags. I have to think about what a decade it’s been learning from coaches, players, students and everyone in my life.  To be honest though, there is no man I’ve learned more from than Coach Tags. I’m sure there are hundreds if not thousands more who would join me in that thought and it’s an inspiration to be a part of his team.

If you’re anything like me, tag man and his lessons are always in the back of your mind.

“If you can make one heap of all your winnings”, and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss…. A state championship? An ultimate achievement and a culmination of so many days of wins by our players, tag man, coach t and our community with supporting our guys in 2017, incredible. Hearing him flip balls down in the cage…. “BALL GAME! CHEESE AND CRACKERS THAT WAS THE BEST SWING OF YOUR LIFE! THAT BALL WAS SMOKED!” Goosebumps. Memories forever.

“And lose, and start again at your beginnings, and never breathe a word about your loss.” A loss in the state championship in 2016? A dreaded disease returning, to be rocked to your core but to never mention the loss. To just keep going, to keep grinding and being positive with every single moment, to show the world how to fight and never ever breathe those words of loss. Incredible. Goosebumps. The stuff of heroes.

“And so hold on, when there is nothing in you except the WILL which says to them, Hold On!” Sure, when there’s nothing left, HOLD ON! Hold on to family, to friends, to a game, to inspirations like Tag man. I mean, he’s a stinking inspiration, he just keeps holding on and taking us all on the journey with him. I have often thought about him and all of #teamtags as we hold on together. For Tag man, for moose, for Ryan and Amy, Brendan and Amy, Susan, Easton, Everett and Emilee and every player, student and member of the Sontag crew. We hold on. 

How positivity, grace, grit and baseball analogies will get your through the day. Finally and hopefully this last part makes sense. What this man has done is unbelievable but all assuming at the same time. 

If you’re like me, you’ve never wavered. Tag man will win, he just will. It’s what he does and it’s who he and moose are. I know I’ve enamored you with quotes for the better part of this, but here’s one more… “If you never give up, you’ll never know how to.” Tag man has never, ever given up and he never will. He’s a stinking inspiration to us all.

So is moose and the entire Sontag family and if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the majority of the last two years reading Moose’s blog. You’ve read her beautiful words about strength, leadership, encouragement and how her family has endured immense physical and mental struggle. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been inspired by how the Sontags look at it all, how they endure the levity of the situation, stand in the face of hardship and look back at it with a smile as if to say, “bring it on…. What else do you have to throw at us?” As she’s said, it’s 2 strikes, we’re down to our last out and that’s our favorite place in the world. That’s where we do our best work (God I love that). 

You’ve also read more specifically about Coach Tags, his love for baseball and all of the analogies used to get our inspiration (Coach Tag) through this incredible journey. You’ve watched as he does his med ball and band work in the hospital and walks circles around the healthy people in that place. You’ve continued to read about after every set back and somehow this man has inspired us all by continuing to get back up and says, “bring it on, I’m ready for more.” 

If you’re anything like me, you’ve gotten chills hearing the support. Standing in the dugout during team tags day, seeing the responses for the team tags shirt, the unbelievable support this man has received, I mean it’s been surreal to say the least. To me, it’s amazing how a game, education and being a good person can bring communities and groups of individuals together to hear about the greater good. To send levels of support when one is in need and to rally for a man who has always rallied for us.

Again, if you’re anything like me, this man is so important in your life. He is about everything that is good in this world and everything that all of us would like to be some day.  He thinks about things differently than most do, he’s selfless, has a huge heart and leads by example in everything he does. When you think about the #28 it is synonymous with one individual and equal to no other man. He stands alone in his unparalleled successes and what he has done for others.

If you’re anything like me, this man is my hero.

Here’s to a healthy decade Tag man, you deserve it. We love you buddy.

Joe Welton

#TeamTags

It goes without saying that this is the time of year when we give more than ever. Whether it is giving your time, giving money to charitable organizations or simply giving a hug to one in need; we are compelled to give.

I was informed today that a blood drive has been organized by Chelsea Johnson and is being held at Jefferson High School this Friday. Please consider giving your time and blood for a worthy cause. Consider it an early Christmas gift. Dave, alone, has received 40-50 pints of blood in the last 21 months. Without donations, that would have not been possible. It is the most precious gift that one could give another – the gift of life.

Please sign up using the following link. Thank you so much.

https://donate.michigan.versiti.org/m/donor/schedules/available_drive_slots/126572/1576800000/1

Who needs you to make another person feel special today? If you are like me this morning, I’m just sitting here sipping a cup of coffee, and I have no idea who may enter my life today. I don’t know who I will encounter who will provide an opportunity for me to make him or her feel special.

Of course my wonderful husband is sitting here sipping coffee with me, too. For years, it has been a morning ritual that Dave would bring me my coffee with cream. It was such a sweet gesture and always made me feel loved. That 36-year tradition fell to the wayside almost two years ago when cancer took over his life. It’s not that I cannot make my own cup of coffee, but the reality is, it became evident that even simple tasks were difficult for him. It took energy that he just did not have. It is amazing how this disease can change one’s life in so many ways.

A few weeks ago, this all changed. I woke up to a steaming cup of coffee made just the way I like it. As one can imagine, it felt like my old Dave was coming back. He’s making and bringing me my cup of coffee every morning now. This special gesture is a small sign that he is starting to feel more like himself.

Although regaining the strength he lost is taking longer than Dave expected, he is back to taking hikes in the woods, back to doing resistant band work and back to lifting weights. His quick weight gain of 30 pounds last month has tapered off now, but his eating habits are resembling the old Dave as well. He’s enjoying second helpings and requesting certain recipes to help him gain the last 20 pounds needed to reach his goal weight. That, my friends, is huge. And as I’ve said before, if I could give him 20 of my pounds, it would be the highlight of my “giving” season.

We have entered the special time of year when giving and receiving seem to come to the forefront. I feel compelled to make every day special for someone, just like Dave does for me. Something as simple as bringing me a cup of coffee does not go unnoticed. It’s special.

So moving forward, I am going to make a concerted effort to do just that. I will look for a time and place to make someone feel important. It will be a special addition to each and every day – not just for this time of year but for every day.

Update: This was sent to me after my original posting in response to the blog. I thought it apropos to share it. “Lord, open my eyes to see evidence of your glory everywhere I turn. Put faith in my heart to step out, to be a necessary miracle in someone’s life today.”

How often do you stop what you are doing and just enjoy the simple pleasures given to us each day? A sunrise, a sunset, a rainbow…. Whenever this happens to me, I say a quick prayer of thanks, and then I often call one of my best friends, Gloria, to share in God’s glory. I once crossed a bridge while driving in California, and from my vantage point, I could see the beautiful Pacific coast. It was breathtaking, so I called at that very moment to share it with her. 

Another unique part of our friendship is that Gloria and I both have a passion for singing. The funny thing is, she sings with open abandon, but often times it’s really hard to pick up the tune she’s laying down. So I have to stop her mid-sentence to say, “Wait. Start again, and maybe I will guess it this next time. Nope. I have no idea what you are singing.” Then we laugh so hard because she is truly thinking she has perfect pitch. In her head it sounds perfect anyway. Then, I Google the song, and indeed I’ve heard it before. It just didn’t sound the same when she sang it. 

This week, I received a text from Gloria that reminded me of simple pleasures for which we should be grateful. The moment I received it, I knew I would share it with all of you. It’s just that good. It went something like this. 

Gloria visits with her mom, Lu, at the IHM in Monroe almost every evening. Her sweetheart of a mom is there in assisted living, full-time now. Living with dementia for several years now, Lu is one of the loveliest, kindest women I know. Gloria is so appreciative that her mom is thankful, joyful and so loving. While visiting her this week, Gloria had the honor of eating dinner with her mom and four nuns, also living at the IHM. As one might expect, the nuns were discussing the beauty of Gloria’s name and the angel Gloria. 

1st nun: Breaks out into song and sings the Gloria part of “Angel’s We Have Heard on High.” 2nd nun: That was real pretty. Let’s sing a Christmas carol that all of us could sing. 1st nun: Gloria, you start the song for us since you’re the angel. Gloria: Starts singing “Silent Night,” and they all join in. 1st nun: That was beautiful. 3rd nun: Let’s sing another one. “How about Silent Night”? Gloria: Starts to sing it again. 2nd nun: That was beautiful. Let’s sing one more. 3rd nun: How about “Silent Night”? 1st nun: Oh I love that one. Gloria: Begins singing “Silent Night” again. Everyone is singing with gusto!

They all finish, and one of the nuns pipes up and thinks they should sing just one more Christmas carol before dinner. 2nd nun: How about “Silent Night” this time? 1st nun: I think we sang that one already, but we could sing it again. Gloria: Begins singing “Silent Night” and the nun choir, and her mom all join in. 

It’s moments like this that makes one appreciate the simple pleasures in life. Dave hitting Day 100 after his latest transplant is not just a simple pleasure. Today is monumental and one that we are abundantly grateful.

Dave made a profound announcement last week that made me grateful, prayerful and joyful. He said, “We are able to have another Thanksgiving and Christmas together.”

One can only rejoice when thinking of the past year and where perseverance, determination and prayer have taken us. It’s been a year that has humbled us. It’s been a year that has brought us and those who we love to our knees. And, it’s been a year that has given us miracles beyond measure. 

As we approach this special season of thankfulness, prayerfulness and festiveness, looking back on this past year reminds us to keep looking ahead. 

We are thankful for the nurses and doctors who never once doubted our determination to make it to the holidays this year. I believe they all understood the grit we have and the “never say die” attitude. I know that might have made you wince, but it could not be more true. 

We have never hidden our faith and our belief in the power of prayer. If you said one prayer, or if you said 100 prayers, you proved your faith and the power it holds. When we crumbled in immense grief and succumbed to “thy will be done,” it only gave us the momentum to move forward and follow His direction. We continue to pray and place our faith in the One who guides us. 

Never short of celebrating the miracles we have experienced along this journey, we look to the coming month with anticipation. It’s an important one in so many ways. The clinical trial to heal his mouth sores will conclude Saturday. Thanksgiving will be a celebration for all that we are thankful. Being that Dave will be able to eat anything and everything is a bonus. His blood counts are still solid, and he is gaining the much needed weight and strength that were zapped from his body during this entire ordeal.  

We will also look to November 29 as a milestone – Day 100. But, December 7 will go down in history for a different reason. It will be Day 108 after the transplant, which is one day beyond our hopes of many more holidays together. Each day thereafter is truly a gift, including the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas morning. Another gift. 

The festiveness of another Thanksgiving and Christmas together cannot be put into words. It is one of our greatest gifts that we have received. 

We celebrate all that was and look forward to all that will be.