Ode to my family

In about 20 minutes, the 1-year anniversary of my awareness of my parents' horrific accident will come to pass. Little did I know at the time that it had actually happened roughly 12-13 hours prior and that they would wait that long to go into emergency surgery, thus costing Mom her kidney. (And y'all thought socialized medicine was roses. Ha.)

After a long and arduous journey (I would call it more of a struggle, given their starting point, but they tend to see the brighter side of things than I) they are quite functional. Considering what they went through, they made good time. I can't say it's as good as it'll get, as I think there's a good chance they'll improve even more in the years to come.

They never cease to give me cause to admire them. First it was the silver lining they could see in the situation before they could even open their eyes and fully comprehend what happened. They believe, as I do, that there is indeed a reason for everything. Even in the case of a car accident, there are no accidents. They did a fabulous job coping with their situation and applying what rationality they could to such a situation. Never did they wallow in a "poor me" syndrome, but instead re-directed their focus onto the search for the hidden blessing in their near-fatal circumstance, never losing hope and strength. I am proud of them, for they are stronger than I ever would have been in their place. I am lucky to have them here; I could very easily be mourning the 1-year anniversary of losing them. That in itself is too painful a thought to complete, so I turn my own attention to their celebration of life and continued recovery. It is nothing short of incredible.

And then there is my sister and my (un-biological) brother, who stepped in and coordinated my parents' business, while I remained numb and feeling powerless from 1700 miles away. I felt guilty that I had no choice but to get back into the swing of school once I was satisfied that their situation had stabilized and we had done what we could do. Of course, I know that I wasn't part of the family business anymore and I hadn't been for quite some time, and so nothing was expected of me in that department, but I still gazed in awe at my "kid" sister who stepped up to the plate and took everything over like the responsible adult I too-often forget that she is. Putting her own shock and grief aside until further notice, she took care of business, tying up all the loose ends before even so much as stopping to breathe. Before anyone knew it, she had spare drivers, unit managers, and other help all lined up and ready to go at the drop of a hat. The business, for the first time since its own incarnation, was going to proceed as usual--the show was going to go on--without the owners present. This had never happened before, and it was being orchestrated by a short, skinny, brainy wild-child who hadn't even hit 30 but was more mature than anyone else I knew. I knew she had it in her, but she never ceases to impress me.

May 12.30am come and go, and mark a different kind of birthday, the beginning of a whole new year full of potential and miracles.