Seems to me that life has been throwing our family a lot of curve balls lately. Jons wreck...Jacob breaking his leg...my dad's surgery...its been a rollercoaster for the last few months. I've always heard that "bad" comes in three's though, so hopefully we are done for a while. If not, im locking myself and Hudson in a padded room, along with my mom and sister...who knows which one of us is next! :) (I know none of this is funny, but i keep thinking of that movie Final Destination...and ill out run the "evil" like hell if thats what it takes.)
Anyways, i feel like ive learned a lot since last Thursday. The places your mind will go when its in distress amaze me. Whether its good, bad, or just down right silly...
1. Hug your parents every chance you get. And everyone else in your family for that matter. It's good for your soul.
2. Don't ever EVER mix coffee with a monster energy drink. You will bounce around wherever you are like Forest Gump's ping pong ball.
3. If youre going to be in a hospital with a loved one for an extended amount of time, bring HEALTHY snacks. Otherwise, you will eat yourself into a cafeteria/vending machine oblivion. I never want to see a bag of skittles again.
4.No matter how much research/mental preparation you do, you will NEVER be prepared for the sight of a loved one after major surgery. The breathing machine alone will make you want to run for the hills.
5. With that said, technology AMAZES me. A machine that BREATHES for you...wow. Also, I never knew what they had to do (and thank God i didnt find out until after) to perform an open heart surgery. The bypass process shocked me. Had i known that they really did STOP my dad's heart, i probably would have had to be sedated. One of my dads best friends joked that he now has a "new" birthday since he was technically brought back to life. Safe to say we wont be blowing out any candles on October 20th every year though. No thanks!!!!
6.Hopitals are cold. Really cold. No matter how many snuggies you have, you still wont be able to feel your face.
7.If you are lucky enough to have a family like mine, thank God for them every day. While my dad was in the operating room, we had at least 25 people in the waiting room. I'm sure the other people in there thought we were crazy...but the Stracner clan knows how to support each other, and we totally do it by creating plenty of distraction from the seriousness of any situation. Silence is not my friend, and God placed all of the laughter and story telling in that waiting room for a reason.
8.Any baby can be distracted in a hospital by blowing up gloves and making "hand" balloons. Lets just hope they dont charge my dad for all of the ones that are missng from his room. :)
9. Good friends are few and far between. My dad has had the same group of friends since he was a kid, and every single one of them was there before/during/after his surgery. Im also glad im surrounded by people who care and who really know what my family needs to feel better. (Like a simple text message offering support, or even a tray full of Darrells sandwiches being delivered to the hospital....you rock Ashley Rogers!)
10. Nothing in this world beats seeing your Dad awake and smiling after going through a surgery like that. Nothing.
11. Hospital gift shops know what theyre doing. Sad people make the best shoppers. I have a new scarf/jewelry/eyeshadow/wallet to prove it.
12. Hospital cafeterias also know what theyre doing. Do you really have to offer a full home cooked meal AND pizza/chicken strips/burgers/loaded baked potaotes all at the same time!?!?!? Plus Icees and all kinds of desserts?! Which reminds me.... my diet starts today.
13. My mother proves to me time and time again that she is the strongest woman i know. She has not left my dads side ONCE since Thursday, and if she has, its only to step out of the room to cry so my dad wont see. She has held mine, Hollie's, and Jacob's hands through all of this...totally being the backbone for our entire family. Plus, any woman that will pass up a shower for a few days is totally my hero.
14. Life is so short. You never know what could happen, or if you will end up on an operating table next. Try to be healthy...put down the french fries, put down the cigarettes, and get your butt outside. Start walking, running, table dancing....whatever tickles your fancy to help you get in shape. I swear that my dads speedy recovery process has totally been fueled by the fact that he is so healthy and takes care of himself. He has made me want to be a better person. If not for myself, for Jon and Hudson. I never ever want my children/loved ones to have to see me in a hospital.
15. Make time for your family every single day of your life. Like i said, hug them. Tell them you appreciate them. And more importantly, telll them you love them. I promised myself over the weekend that i would tell my parents that EVERY day from here on out. They may get sick of it, and i may end up calling and just yelling it out then hanging up, but at least they will know that they are my entire world. And thats all that matters. :)
God is good people....God is good. =)
xoxo
Candace
So, so true!
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