Thankful

Sometimes tragedy can make you wake up and smell the roses.  It is terrible that it takes bad things in our life to make us realize what we have and appreciate the people in our life.  My grandfather has always been a very important role model of mine and special to me as well.  Sometimes I just get wrapped up in the busyness of my single mom life and forget to breathe and take a moment.  My grandfather went to the heart hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, to have an arteriogram last Wednesday.  They found his main artery was 100% blocked, but then the surgeon was uncertain if he could perform the surgery.  Because of his age, they thought it would be too risky.  For days, we worried and waited patiently for a decision.  Finally on Friday morning, they decided they would perform the surgery on Monday morning. Later that evening, they found his carotid artery was also blocked and they would do that surgery at the same time. 

Sunday morning came, we loaded up and headed North.  As I walked in the hospital, I see this old man that I did not recognize.  Even though I see this man physically, all I can see is the memories of the strong, hard working, caring, and loving grandfather.  My heart ached to see him that way and I knew that he had to come out of this for all of us and himself.  Monday morning, the surgery got rescheduled for lunch.  Lunch came, and then it was that afternoon.  At 4:45, they wheeled him down the hallway for all of us to tell him goodbye and tell him we loved him.  Tears streamed down my face as I watched our family hold on to the hopes of him making it through the surgery.  My little boy looks up at me and says, "mommy, why are you crying?  Does Papaw make you sad?"  I picked him up and held back my tears as I realized how much I had to be thankful for.  Three hours later, the surgeon came out to inform us that the surgery was successful.