Gifts
August 19. I have received many gifts. It is like a special birthday everyday. I am spoiled with the gifts of attention, prayers, thoughts, company, smiles, requests for me to smile, stories, nourishing food, photos, thoughts, music, words, compassion, empathy, support for my eye procedures, care, hugs, inclusion in plans, kindness to my boys and many more. So spoiled. So blessed.
The torrent of gifts reminds me everyday that I am accompanied, even though sometimes I feel lonely. When I do, I remember memories of how my friends, my community, my medical team, my boys, are constantly there for me.
Among the most touching gifts that I receive, is the gift of prayer. I am grateful for all prayers for me, for medical staff and volunteers, for my boys, for our community. I pray every day. I pray for all the blessed people around me. I pray of thanks for the blessing of being here today among all these gifts.
I am so touched by my friend Len's and her daugther Steph's prayers -as I write- from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, around the grotto of Massabielle, in Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France. Steph's prayers "take us to yet another dimension", as Len mentioned and I feel and agree. Len also prayed for me in Cova da Iria, Fátima, Ourém, Portugal. I grateful for all prayers, but I want to express my appreciation for remembering me in such pilgrimages. In my experience, it is natural to pray for oneself, but it is more spiritual work to pray for all intensions that i am aware people around me have. I am grateful to be in a prayer list, aptly named the Prayer Warriors, and to receive a weekly reminder of intentions. I have my own personal lists that I pray everyday with my boys and I try to include everyone.
I propose that it takes a special quality of devotion to travel to a pilgrimage sanctuary and offer prayers for the intentions of others. Thank you all, who have gifted me your prayers from sanctuaries such as the ones I already named, and also from Medjugorge in Čitluk, Herzegovina-Neretva, Bosnia and Herzegovina. from Jasna Góra, Częstochowa, Poland, from Tepeyac, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico DF, Mexico, from Templo de Cristo Sacerdote, Guadalajara, Mexico, from Monterrey, Mexico, from Vatican City, and many other sanctuary locations. I am particularly grateful to my spiritual leaders, Linda, Layla, Erin, Lizbeth, Susan C., Marion, Pacita, Rosario, and Nafula, for your patience, leadership, time, attention, prayers and gifts of illumination, knowledge, and daily practice; and also to Brothers Tony G. and Anthony B. for their kindness and leadership in community service.
Thank you reader for keeping me in your thoughts. Thank you for your generosity. Your gifts mean so much to me and my boys.
I was at another clinic this morning following up on the many recent results and procedures and I was so grateful to for my medical team's executive producer, Dr. Hanna, who has been so compassionate, kind, and has been fielding out results, and recruiting specialists for me with such kindness, expertise, professionalism, and prayer. I also have Dr. Hanna in my daily list of prayers. I am just one of many patients in her long career and somehow, every time I feel like I am her only patient. She saved my life by discovering evidence of the "yai yai dot" -as my younger son calls it (in this case, yai yai is Cantonese for something like daunting)- back in the fall of 2019 and then she proceeded to assemble the most amazing team of avengers, some who I have mentioned before. I am grateful for the gift of Dr. Hanna and for your prayers, reader, as you often join me in praying for doctors and their staff and for remembering me in your thoughts.
Thank you all for spoiling me with your gifts. I am so grateful. You are all in my prayers.
