Family comes first

That's something that I've heard Kari say many times. When she went down to Denver to care for her sister's kids last week, her mom came over from Tacoma to share the visit. The unexpected turn is that she had two heart attacks before last week was over, was moved to a regional cardiac care center, and is at this late hour just emerging from a triple bypass, valve repair and MAZE procedure for atrial fib. Kari managed three kids under the age of 6 plus a critically ill parent, with both she and her mom far from home. At this end, I don't know if I helped all that much, but I tried - I put in my time helping at the daycare, helped with the demands of the accounting firm doing FOP's audit this week (note to self: never let the treasurer go out of town during the audit), oh yes and tried to keep going to my two regular jobs as well and then prep and run a Board meeting this evening, which included preparing service awards which I really wanted to be extra nice. Kari has been with us for five years and Pat and Michele have both dedicated fifteen years to board service.

I am grateful for the many people of spiritual power who grace my life, because last night and this morning when I was feeling scared and weepy for Kari and her dear mom - they told her what she'd experienced were just small tremors of what would have come - I just picked up the phone and started calling on them to devote that power and focus to Doreen's condition and to her healing.

I know that the surgery is only a small part of it, but it's been a relief through this evening to get Kari's calls at each step, keep praying hard, and know that everything that can be done is being done. And I am grateful that in my life as in hers, it actually doesn't take a heart attack for us to know that family comes first.