Some months ago Melissa gave me an enormous coffee mug that
reads, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.” John Wayne is credited with the quote
and proudly poses on the side of the cup.
Melissa has all the courage that the ol’ Duke has, if you ask me. You see, she thought all this aortic
surgery and dissections and Marfan’s stuff meant the end of an active life as
she has known it. Mom and Dad
thought so too. Yesterday morning
she was asking her PT (physical therapist) what she could hope to do when she
heals up. “Why, anything you could
ever do!” he said. “You mean I can
dance again?” she ventured. He
replied, “Lots of Pro athletes have had the same operation. Lots have Marfan’s, too. That’s why so many are tall! Take your beta [blood pressure meds]
and do anything you want!”
Melissa’s brilliant smile and tears were music to my soul. “Swing dancing is one of my favorite
things” she confessed quietly. She
had faced her surgery and upcoming rehab with courage – scared that it would
mean the end of her favorite pastime.
Sometimes the most wonderful gifts are the ones we thought we were going
to lose.
So I think it is a wonderful gift to watch her chatting with
a friend just now. I almost don’t notice the six i.v. lines
hanging from her neck and wrists or her index finger glowing red from the blood
gas lead. What I do notice is that
mom braided her hair last night.
Her lips have some natural color now, which they did not have before the
morning transfusion. She’s going to
be fine, even if there are bouts of pain.
She’s got courage – true grit.
The only thing missing is the Stetson.
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