the miracle of life

it was a

picture perfect

autumn day

.

i was walking across the ohio state campus

noticing the beauty of the

colorful fall leaves swirling about

it was a thursday in two thousand seven

november eighth as i recall

i had been in a meeting all afternoon

now i was preparing for a group of

friends to meet me in town

a girls weekend had been planned

as i got further from the crowd

i could hear my cell phone alarm

a message was waiting

from my father

my mother had fallen in a parking lot

and had been rushed to the hospital

thanks to the quick actions of a stranger

she had a massive brain bleed

and there was nothing that

could immediately be done

because of the blood thinner she

takes for her heart

i better come quickly

he stoically advised

the first twenty four hours are

the most telling

i dropped off the weekends

football tickets to my son's dorm

then drove across the state

not sure what i'd find

as i walked into her room

i didn't need a doctor to explain

her life was in danger

it was truly in god's hands

for days

she laid in the icu

the marvels of medicine

had somehow kept her alive

an empty shell she was it seemed

my face she didn't recognize

she was transferred to a rehabilitation center

where they worked to give her hope

at first it was the basics

her name, the day of week

then slowly they moved her out of the bed

a walker above her feet

for hours and hours they worked for days

my father by her side

he cut her food and fed her bites

until her strength returned

one hundred days is all you get

the medicare directives say

then home you must go

she wasn't quite ready

i was afraid for my dad as i'm an hour away

but home she did come

with many modifications and assists

it was nearly a full year

that my dad cared for her

much like a babe

then slowly we saw progress was being made

i never would have imagined

in two thousand ten

she would be standing

at the top of our steps

a full thirteen count

next to her grandson

on his graduation day

a miracle indeed

.

the therapy often had her

writing him letters

the first batch is barely legible

still he saved every one

as a reminder

i suppose

of this miracle of life

we are mightily thankful

and very truly blessed