Six years and counting

Yesterday was my six year anniversary of my heart transplant.  While I was celebrating my second chance of life, I couldn't help but think about the family of my donor, Tiffani, and how this was the six year anniversary of her death.  In a couple of weeks I'll be thinking of a former student of mine, Allen, who became a donor after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 13.  His parents donated his organs after he came home and made remarks about how neat it was that I could be saved because of someone one else's generosity.

For the most part, I've been feeling great.  Recently, I've been in schools doing enrollment and have exposed myself to more germs than I normally do and I've felt my body fighting those germs every day.  This is a busy time of year for school counselors and it is easy to wear down when you are healthy, nevertheless when you have a compromised immune system.

Everyday when I look at the 36+ pills that I often have to take, I have to remember that they are part of the process that is keeping me alive.  It is not always fun to swallow all of those, and because of the cost of the medication I will probably never own a home, but I'm alive.  For that, I am grateful.

In the last six years I have celebrated my parents' 50 year wedding anniversary, spent quality time with my brother and sister-in-law, learned to value my friends in ways that others probably never will, and tried to help as many kids as I can.  Hopefully, the good Lord will let me hang around a few more years to see my "adopted" children graduate from school and head out on their own and maybe be able to visit some places I've never been before.

Whatever time I may have, I hope to always remember the gift that I was given and use it wisely.  I believe that to be the best way to honor a life that was taken too soon.