Ok, I have been telling you about my “aha” moment. Besides my belief system, other factors contributed to it. One of those is my Dad. In November the phone rang and Dan, my husband, answered it. I could tell by the conversation that it was my Dad, and I could tell that it was something serious. When Dan got off the phone (it was very strange that my Dad had not asked to talk to me), I could tell by his face that he had something serious to tell me. My Dad had been having some strange chest pain for a few months and had (finally) gone in for a stress test. He failed it miserably, and the doctor wanted him to have additional tests right away.
This news put my family in somewhat of a tail-spin. My Dad is the patriarch of the family: the jokester, the nurturer, the one that is always healthy and strong. But he’s also the one who can eat 5 hot dogs while grilling and then eat 3 more when we sit down at the table! The 5 outside “didn’t count,” he’d say, because they didn’t have a bun. He’s also the guy that pulled through McDonald’s and ordered 2 McChicken sandwiches on the way home from his heart tests! His “last supper.” AGH! And all the while, he looked healthy and not overweight.
The next set of tests revealed severe blockage and that he literally was a “heart attack waiting to happen.” My siblings and I all came in from out of town and tried to be there to support him and my Mom. To see my Dad lying there with tubes and a cut-open chest changed me. I didn’t want that to ever happen to me or anyone I loved again, and I wanted to support him and my Mom the best way that I could. That included changing my diet. I didn’t really eat that bad in the first place (I am married to “Dr. Dan,” remember?), but I knew that I could make changes: less red meat, less sugar, less cholesterol, smaller portions, more exercise, etc. So on January 4, 2011, some of the diet changes had already taken place, not perfectly, but slowly. I don’t think that my Dad’s surgery alone could have changed me, but it definitely affected me, and all of the factors came together in that moment and began a change.
P.S. I am happy to report that my Dad is doing well and had an excellent recovery. He has given up eating hot dogs that don’t count! We are thankful that it went so well and thankful for him.
Hi Jen,
Your transparency, colorful details, and genuine spirit, supported by a gift for writing, are truly inspirational. Catching up with your new blog has been a blessing today.
A few months ago, I was wondering who this quiet focused lady was next to me on the ellipticals. For several weeks you were there; I was wondering who this new Miracles member was. I was afraid to speak up for some reason, perhaps I did not want to interrupt your concentration. A few weeks ago, a cute little red head came up behind you. I could see out of the corner of my eye, (not wanting to be too nosy, or rather to reveal that I AM nosy, or maybe curious is a nicer word), that he wanted your attention. You quietly got off your machine and spoke to him tenderly. As I watched (trying again not to be noticed), I thought, “I know this boy, she must be Dan’s wife.”
I introduced myself a bit later and we had a short, but special chat. I felt that genuine spirit and openness, an openness that seemed a paradox given my first impressions. I share this with Dan later before I left, saying you need to speak up, little knowing this blog was in the works. And I added, “Is she an introvert?” (that curiosity again). He laughed, that big Dan laugh where his face lights up, and said something like, “YES, she defines the temperament.” That was my interpretation anyway; my memory is not always that good. What was clear was his understanding and fondness for you.
We will become fond of you as well. You may say you are doing this first for your self and your family, and that is good, but really you are doing it for all of us, who struggle with those barriers in our minds, with those strongholds that “weight” us down. We will be blessed by the gifts and experiences God has given you. May He be also glorified by your quiet ministry to all of us.
Barry