Mornings and nights are cold and frost hovers over the mountains. The deer and elk show up a lot more than they did, looking for something good to eat. Our Schnauzer, Holly, loves to lay on the little rug we placed by the small gas stove in our family room. As I write, it’s nearly midnight, and Ron and I are sitting in our matching Lazy-Boy recliners, where we will spend the night. Since surgery this chair is easier to get in and out of than is our bed, so together we recline in our chairs for the night. We have been “tucked in” by our precious friends, Kenny and Donna, who are here to care for us since I came home from the hospital. It’s rare to find friends like these, who are willing to place their lives on hold for a couple of weeks to devote their time and their love to us. Our Sara lives just down the street, and tonight she brought dinner to us–delicious! She is a nurse and a dear daughter. Our daughter in Illinois has called each day to check in.

We are blessed! Tomorrow a nurse from Home Health will come to check on me, and then the physical therapist, who we love dearly, will come to get me started in the recovery process. I know that it will be painful, but it is necessary to regain full function. Surely I need to do that so that I can return to caring for my Ron.

This reminds me so much of the recovery process necessary to heal from emotional wounds we received earlier in life. First someone needs to help us to evaluate just where we are and what specific progress we need to make. Then it’s on to a program designed to offer maximum relief from the pain and dysfunction that we carry. The process is not an easy one, but sticking with it to completion will guarantee the very best results! I know that tomorrow and for the next few weeks, I may dread seeing a woman who I love, coming to my door. She will tease me to bend and to move my left leg so that function can be restored. It will hurt! I know because I have already been doing some of the exercises, and they are painful! Someone said, “No pain, No gain,” and whoever did was right! Any kind of healing or recovery causes discomfort.

When my incision was bandaged just before I left the hospital, I got to see the number of staples in that wound. WOW! There must be 30! Removing those won’t be comfortable either, but it’s part of the process, and I’ll suffer through. And here’s a thought: As this year comes to a close, why not decide to suffer through your recovery process. Remember that in order to stay healthy, one has to stay with what it takes to maintain health. “Stay in the conversation,” as Karan would say. Continue reading books that will help you to remove yet another layer of the onion, so to speak. In so doing, life continues to become more exciting, guaranteeing you a happy and blessed New Year.

Why don’t you think about your life as this year comes to a close? Is it the way you want it to be? Is there love, compassion, and peace in your family, or are there unresolved issues that keep raising their ugly heads? Really, the most important thing is how wonderful your relationships are, not how fancy or expensive the gifts are that you can put under the tree. One never knows when some tragedy may strike someone you care about but do not get along with well. It truly is more important to wrap up resolved resentments rather than beautiful, ornate packages under a tree this year. This would be the ideal way to honor the birth of the Author of love and peace.