Eyeballs and Birthdays

I woke up in the middle of the night on a random day in February with searing pain in my left eye. It was the most intense, desperate pain you can imagine (and that's coming from a woman who has had gallstones, 3 kids, massive dental work, heart and abdominal surgeries, and chronic pain and vertigo). This pain was next level. But the worst part was I had lost my vision in that eye, and my right eye was blurry, so I was pretty debilitated. It turned out that I had somehow ripped the top layer of my cornea off while I was sleeping, which caused a painful secondary viral infection. So basically the mother of all pink eyes. But I'm not writing this to complain. I'm actually posting this to say how grateful I am to my sister Shannon for dropping everything in her busy life to rush me to urgent care. She was calm, and patient, and made silly jokes the whole time to help keep my anxiety under control. I'm thankful for Trenton, who cared for me during my semi-blindness, and took over complete care of the kids, and made me gluten-free pancakes that tasted like home. I appreciate his calm reassurance that I will be able to see again, and until then- letting me know he's got my back. I'm also so grateful for my sweet family and friends that prayed for me and expressed concern and willingness to help. It's a weird and terrifying thing to have a doctor tell you he's not sure when or even if your eyesight will completely return. There is a quiet panic when you're stuck inside your head but not able to clearly see the world around you. I had to truly accept that this was between God and my body's ability to heal.  About a week later, when I got up at 2 am to use the restroom, I noticed my head was pounding. Then I realized it was pounding because it was sensitive to the light that I was SEEING! I could see again! My vision is still blurry, but it seems to be getting better. This entire experience (as silly as a corneal abrasion might seem relative to life's bigger trials) has taught me a whole new level of appreciation for my general health, the power of sincere prayer, the blessing of being able to see and experience this beautiful earth, and the love of my friends and family. I will never take my eyesight for granted again.

Right around the time this was all going on, my mom had her 75th birthday.  For years she has talked about wanting a gallery wall in her living room, so we had a yummy dinner at her house and spent an evening organizing and hanging pictures.  It turned out beautifully.

I also surprised her with a trip to Modern Market and shopping around the promenade shops at Briargate.  It felt like a perfect spring day.  That evening she joined us for a play at Emma's school.  Emma played a pirate and did very well.  I'm so grateful to have my mom around for these experiences.