Anne called today to report that the doctor reviewed her CT scan and said that, although there is some residual something or other (blood? bruising? she was unsure), it was not really unexpected, given the nature of this head injury. In other words, not 100%, but reasonably sure she will get there with time. She is even feeling guilty for her friendly and generous group of dinner-cookers, and thinking it is time to tell them they need not continue their daily deliveries.
She is still tired and experiencing double vision, which makes it necessary to contort her head and neck to see some things (like a plate of food or a note in her hand), which in turn is causing some neck work for the chiropractor. This seems to be improving slowly, but the doctor suggested that if it has not resolved in a month, she might need to visit the ophthamologist or be referred to a neurologist.
Beyond that, the family is doing well, focusing on the positive and remembering to be grateful for the uncountable blessings this event has brought about; as Anne said, a grateful heart is a happy heart and they have so much for which to be grateful: Anne's nearly-miraculous recovery (who can believe she is done with therapy not 6 weeks after this injury?!), the fact that none of the other children were seriously injured (the consensus seems to be that Melanie's guardian angel formed a "bubble" over her to protect her, as she had to crawl out of an impossibly narrow space that might have crushed her), the overwhelmingly generous outpouring of support from every side, the peace we are experiencing in the midst of our sorrow. We are all very grateful.
After hanging up the phone, I thought I should have asked Anne the question she once asked me. After my own close call after Samuel's birth (a story several have suggested I tell here, and maybe I will sometime), Anne called me and said, "So, now that you've been given a second chance, do you feel like you have to do something special with your life?"
It made me laugh at the time, but I will say in retrospect that each day is special since that event. Truly, no day is mundane, there is no time to be disengaged. Knowing firsthand the fragility and brevity of life does sharpen your pencil and make all the colors look brighter. And knowing firsthand that God's grace is always there when you need it, that He will support you through what seems (from the outside looking in) to be impossible, is very freeing.
I have never feared death since the day I almost died, because I know His grace is sufficient. I have never feared crisis since that moment when I saw that God truly does walk with us, and that He really does support us and those we love through very difficult moments and days. And I have never wasted another moment worrying about what I cannot control, because I know that even when things look messy and even wrong to us, He can make it all right as long as we are reaching for Him and taking care of one another as well as we can.
So, each day, we need only be grateful to Him for each moment and circumstance, and focus our energies on living for love. He will orchestrate the rest. We need to trust His love for us.
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