“In everything give thanks …” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Each year, I like to celebrate Thanksgiving by reviewing my blessings. And this year, my husband and I have a LOT to be grateful for.

As those who follow my blog know, Pete was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer three years ago. Then, on the first day of his chemotherapy treatments, I had a heart attack. What followed was two years of cancer treatments, cardiac rehab, repeat hospitalizations and never-ending doctor appointments.

During an appointment in October, Pete’s oncologist reminded us that his every-three-month scans have been coming back “unremarkable” – translation: no signs of recurring cancer – for nearly two years now and the kidney problems triggered by his immunotherapy treatments have stabilized for now. The doctor was practically ecstatic as he expressed cautious optimism about Pete’s prognosis.

Besides the good news about Pete, I’ve received some good news of my own: My cardiologist said tests show my heart sustained only minor damage from the heart attack I had in December of 2022. This year I was able to get a cardiac ablation to resolve some ongoing arrhythmia problems. I continue to participate in cardiac rehab, and Pete has even joined me for the exercise portion.

After what seemed like an endless siege of homebound isolation – first because of the pandemic and then because of our health issues – we’ve finally been able to return to in-person church services and get-togethers with family and friends, and we’re up to our eyeballs in volunteer commitments. In other words, life is slowly returning to … dare I say it? … normal.

AND … we just celebrated our 40^th wedding anniversary in October!! For a while there – given how precarious and scary our medical issues were for a couple of years running – I wasn’t entirely sure we would both make it to our 40^th.  But God is good, and here we are – healthier than we’ve been in a long time.

So, here’s my gratitude list for 2025.

My amazing husband. Pete has topped my gratitude list every single day since I first met him. He’s always been kind, generous, decent and caring, my best friend, the wind beneath my wings, proof positive that there ARE good men, and the best thing that ever happened to me. But during the past three years, I’ve been blown away by his extraordinary strength and courage as he bravely endured chemotherapy and major surgery, repeated hospitalizations and finally, immunotherapy treatments. On top of all this, he’s been my faithful “therapy skunk” as I’ve navigated my own medical journey of cardiac surgeries, rehab and recovery. After 40 years of marriage, I still consider him a gift from a kind and loving God, and I love him to the ends of the universe and back.

Family and friends. I have sisters and cousins who double as friends. And I’ve been blessed with many, many good friends, past and present. I had amazing parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. These irreplaceable people – including several special angels now in heaven – know or knew my quirks and flaws and have loved me anyway. Pete and I are beyond grateful for the many things our wonderful family members and friends have done to help us feel supported and loved as we’ve moved through our recent crises. The steady stream of prayers, cards, meals, visits and baby goat videos helped more than people will ever know!

Our kitties. Our lives have been graced with some magnificent cats, dating back to the earliest days of our marriage: Torbjorn and Angela, Oley and Champie, Bryce and Elizabeth. These sweet fur babies have curled up next to us as we slept, sat in my lap while I worked at my desk, comforted each of us when we were distressed, and loved us unconditionally. They’ve been cuddly, entertaining, delightfully ornery and endlessly adorable. Several of them have served as superb emotional support animals as well, each of them getting us through various rough patches in our lives. We’ve loved each and every one of them.

Our spiritual community. Members of our church congregation went out of their way to help us stay connected when we were homebound for four long years, first because of COVID and then for health reasons. The folks who participate in our church’s Sundays@6 adult faith formation group on Zoom have engaged us in some great discussions. Our community’s Dominican Sisters have enveloped us in prayer and provided us with spiritual direction, while our fellow participants in the anti-racism task force have taught us much. Even my fellow bloggers have shared their faith stories and offered prayers as we’ve gone through tough times.

Our dream house. We have a fireplace, a sunroom filled with plants, a large eat-in kitchen, a piano, office space for each of us, a yard overflowing with flower beds, and a lovely neighborhood with a bike path leading to a nearby park and botanical garden. We’ve even been able to make more of our space handicapped-accessible in the past couple of years so we can hopefully age in place.

Our medical team. As exasperating as our health care system can be to navigate, we’ve been blessed with some competent and dedicated health care professionals, from Pete’s oncologist and my heart specialists to the overnight nursing staff who’ve helped keep Pete and me comfortable during our various hospital stays. Our primary care provider, Shelby – who patiently takes time to listen to our concerns and answer our questions – is worth her weight in gold. And we mustn’t forget to mention the amazing staff at the Simmons Cancer Institute’s infusion center, the interventional radiology department, and the cardiac rehab center at the Prairie Heart Institute.

Technology. Despite all the hype about the societal dangers of social media and other technological advances, tech has been a lifeline for Pete and me over the past five years or so. We’ve been able to “attend” Sunday services, faith formation classes and church committee meetings even when homebound. We’ve been able to have sessions with our spiritual directors online. We’ve been able to have Zoom appointments with doctors and other health care professionals, saving us countless commutes and hours spent in waiting rooms. And even as the COVID restrictions and health issues ease, we can continue to stay in touch with family and friends who are scattered all over the country – which makes frequent face-to-face get-togethers difficult even during normal times.

Relative financial security. Having supplemental health insurance along with our Medicare means we don’t have to worry about how to cover all those medical bills – which would probably surpass the price of a rather swanky house this past couple of years – because our out-of-pocket expenses have been minimal. Being able to afford someone to clean our house and do yard maintenance work has also made my life exponentially easier, especially with my time taken up by volunteer work and so many medical details.

The great outdoors. No matter which season we’re in, I love the wildlife that populates our backyard – the rabbits and squirrels, birds and butterflies and bees. Whether I’m feeding the critters, admiring our flowers, snapping photos of flora and fauna at the park or strolling through our neighborhood, experiencing God’s creation with all my senses ranks as one of my favorite activities. As I’ve said numerous times, I find it almost impossible to deny God’s existence when I’m outdoors with the evidence all around me. 

Ordinary days. If the past three years have taught me nothing else, they’ve taught me to appreciate the “boring” days I used to take for granted. Sometimes there’s nothing more wonderful than an uneventful day. No distressing symptoms. No rides to the emergency room in the back of an ambulance. No test results with nasty surprises. Just laundry, vacuuming, groceries and other soothingly routine activities. I never thought I’d learn to appreciate plain, ordinary days so much. When God treats me to one of these days lately, Psalm 118:24 comes to mind: This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Being alive. God has granted Pete and me another year. After the craziness of 2023 and 2024 – during which we literally walked through the valley of the shadow of death – this feels like, and most likely is, a miracle. While many folks complain about aging (and I must admit I do this myself from time to time), today I choose to be grateful that Pete and I have been allowed to grow old. Especially after surviving a heart attack and cancer.

For all of this, God, I thank you.

Here’s hoping everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings,