I have recently discovered the Evernote App. You can jot down notes, save pictures, mark websites, etc. for use later from your iphone and/or ipad. So now that I can actually work on the bus, I am going to try blogging again. Hopefully the motivation will last for more than a post or two.
Speaking of motivation, I subscribe to the Runner’s World Daily Kick in the Butt. They send me daily motivational quotes. Today’s quote was one of my favorites and is by Martin Luther King, Jr.:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
In the running context this was meant to evoke the question of how you respond physically and mentally when your training or race becomes difficult. As with most running analogies, it applies to life after your sneakers come off.
One advantage to the traveling I have been doing with my job, is meeting new people in different parts of the country. I am blessed in that I have acquired several new friends along the way. One of them is LaDonna. LaDonna and I have a lot in common. We both had children young, we both went to law school a little later in life, and now unfortunately, we both have heart babies in our families.
When LaDonna found out she was going to be a grandmother again, she was ecstatic. She counted down the months to baby’s arrival. She threw her daughter a fabulous baby shower, paying attention to all the little details. It took countless shopping trips for LaDonna to find the perfect outfit for the baby to wear home from the hospital. She couldn’t wait to get that baby in her arms.
About this time last year, I was asking you all to pray for my nephew, Tyler as we faced the challenge of him going to Boston Children’s Hospital for his heart “tune up.” Your prayers worked. Tyler is healthy, he is another year older and has entered middle school. I am hoping your prayers will work again, this time for LaDonna’s granddaughter, Addie.
Addie came in to the world on Wednesday at 6 lbs, 8 ½ oz, and measuring 21” long. She has cute chubby cheeks and dark hair. Shortly after she was born, the doctors discovered that her oxygen saturation levels would not stay up. She was airlifted to a children’s hospital for emergency surgery when it was discovered that all four of her heart valves were closed. She underwent eight hours of surgery yesterday to repair her heart. She is stable but is having trouble regulating her blood pressure. Those of you who were on the journey with us with Tyler eleven years ago, know all to well that Addie’s health will remain fragile for the days and weeks to come.
LaDonna is one of the strongest people I have the pleasure of knowing. She is without a doubt guiding her family gracefully through this difficult time, all the while ensuring that Addie receives the best possible care. Considering all that little Addie has been through in her first 48 hours of life, there is little doubt that she has inherited LaDonna’s focus, stubbornness, and determination, all characteristics that will help her overcome this. Please keep Addie and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
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