If you are a regular reader of my blog here, you will know that’s been an interesting year for me in terms of being reminded of the fragility and impermanence of life: I wrote about my mother’s illness and passing, and about the scary bicycle accident my teenage daughter had. Well, it appears not only good things come in three …
On the seventh of July, a close friend -now living in Ottawa- suddenly collapsed: an aneurysm on one of the arteries at the base of her brain had burst. Just like that, the life of this vibrant and extremely healthy woman, hung in the balance … 40% of people in the same position do not survive. She was lucky to live, but whether or not she’d ever talk or walk or even move again, was not at all clear.
But she did recover, better than anyone could have expected, and continues to do so. As a Pilates instructor, she knows her body very well, and as an artist, she has the creativity to take every day as it comes, as she is trying to put the pieces of her reality back together.
I am close with this strong woman and her family: our firstborn children were in playgroups together, and our friendship grew. Later, I was very involved with the birth of her second child, whom I consider my goddaughter. So it was without hesitation that I offered to come to Ottawa as soon as was possible, to help in any way I could.
I spent a very eye-opening week by her bedside, and evenings with her family. I am no stranger to hospitals, luckily usually from a visitor’s point of view, so I settled right in, and we just took every moment as it presented itself. The mind is a quirky thing, and as long as you can relax about it, it’s not so bad when it’s not quite working as it used to.
That week was yet another great reminder to cherish what we are given! I send many good thoughts their way, wishing for further big leaps in recovery, and the stamina to make it all the way through this life-altering experience.
