Daily 511

In my dream world I live in an enormous rustic home nestled into cozy mountainside overlooking a pristine lake.  I never have to worry about a mortgage or broken down cars (or broken down bodies!) And because I don't like to do things half way, I also weigh 70 pounds less, have a successful writing career and perfect blood pressure. We all need dreams.  Dreams propel us forward, energize us to work hard towards a goal and can make the world a better place.  I believe many of our dreams are God given and God directed.  However, if you're like me, many of your dreams are self-centered, idealistic and materialistic.  We see something we like on Facebook or Instagram or TV (often an entire lifestyle- I'm looking at you, Joanna Gaines) and we want the same thing for our lives. What happens, then, when real life doesn't live up to your dream for your life?  When illness, death, broken relationships, lost jobs, business failures intrude on your plans? ...

Friday morning, March 15th 2019, I was laying in bed, determined not to get out of my warm cocoon until the last possible moment, when my son burst in the room, "An FMC nurse wants to talk to you."  It took a few seconds to register, but then the alarm went off in my head.  The voice on the other end of my phone sounded worried, "We have Jay in emergency.  It appears he is having a stroke.  We have given him clot busting medication and are having him life flighted to OSU.  If you leave now, you may be able to see him before they take off." I don't remember getting dressed but I ended up in the ER just moments before they whisked him off to the helicopter waiting for him on the roof of the hospital.   Thankfully, my son was home from college on Spring Break and could drive me the 45 minutes to the hospital.  I was greeted at OSU by a neuro surgeon.  "Jay has a clot in his brain.  He will have the best outcome if we go in and remove ...