looking back once again... reflecting on the gifts of gratitude, faith & love!

Our Grand Lives
5 days ago
13 min read

Friday, May 23, 2025

HAPPY FRIDAY, EVERYONE!

Today we’re joining Andrea and Erika and their Friday Favorites link up

as well as a few others (highlighted at the end of this post)

for a special post that veers away a bit from our typical content!

But, before we begin, have you heard about this?

For years we lived it!

We've all heard of March Madness but this is slightly different!

May Madness is a phrase coined to describe

the energy that comes when the month of May arrives,

with all its excitement and flurry of activities galore!

Sound familiar?

As moms and kindergarten teachers there were so many years

that we juggled ALL the activities and expectations that this month held,

especially as one school year came to a close and the start of another summer began!

If you are in the midst of the frenzy that only this time of year brings,

we understand and we are praying for you as you navigate it all!

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and closer!

Even now, in retirement, May Madness seems to be a real thing

and we often wonder how that can be!

While we’ve been AWOL from our typical Weekly Snapshots posts this month,

we’ve got a monthly recap planned for next Friday

when we’ll share all we’ve been up to!

However, today - May 23 - is an extra special day for Laura!

It’s a significant anniversary - one she first shared on the blog last year! In fact, the day is one that was life changing for her and her loved ones so it bears sharing once again and may even become an annual thing!

Last year was the 25th anniversary of a day that altered the course of my life

- it was the day my heart stopped -

and I couldn’t let the day go by without reflecting once again

on the gifts God has placed on my path ever since!

If you know my story, please bear with me!

Hopefully, I’ll offer some words that will add light to your day.

If this is your first time hearing my story,

THANK YOU for being here and taking some time to learn more!

This is the day that the Lord has made…

Psalm 118: 24 was my dad’s favorite bible verse!!

He would repeat this phrase to himself and to us often,

always with hope and assurance in his voice,

even when his days got tough near the end of his life.

This verse was read at his memorial service when we said our earthly goodbyes!

I do my best to begin each day with these same words on my lips…

and my hope is that the life story I’m sharing here today

will remind us all that each day is a rich and precious gift from God above!

Hearts and love have always been woven into the fabric of my life! I relish a great love story – either on film or in a juicy novel! I am equally moved by the lyrics of a beautiful love song, easily getting lost in its melody!

The photo above is of a pin that our Daughter J made for me when she was in Kindergarten… a Valentine’s gift to her mom. It has always brought a smile to my face… a simple and sparkly paper craft created with love!

You see, my birthday happens to fall on Valentine’s Day – the day each year that love is celebrated – and, as you can imagine, the day has always had special meaning in my home. My mom and dad each year would shower me with love and announce that I was their valentine gift to each other. My mom would bake and then carefully create a cherry chip heart cake to celebrate. I even had my very own “valentine” dress for a few years – handmade from fabric covered in hearts! At school, my birthday celebration was always intertwined with the planned Valentine’s Day festivities. As I’ve grown older, I’ve continued to feel that special love as each birthday rolls around, and family, friends and, yes, countless kindergarten students celebrate with me!

Yet, there is another date that I now commemorate and recognize as my second “birthday” – my “Heart Day” actually… May 23!

Our family and many of our friends

know of the events that transpired on May 23, 1999.

In fact, they may have heard the story over and over!

Many of them have vivid memories of that day and what transpired!

My understanding is all second hand…

Twenty six years ago today, on May 23, 1999, my world – our family’s world – changed in an instant! It was a beautiful Sunday morning and my hubby was on the golf course for the first time that season for a special round with friends! My in-laws were visiting as we were planning a family gathering later that afternoon to celebrate our girls’ birthdays – our kindergartener, Daughter J had just turned 6 and Daughter A, our baby, was now a one year old! I’d spent the evening before decorating the house, prepping the food and tidying up.

Since it was Pentecost Sunday, I was wearing my favorite red dress and the girls were also dressed festively in red. It was 9:05 a.m. and we were due at church – during those years I led Sunday morning music time for the Sunday School kids at the 9:30 service. I remember being in the doorway between our kitchen and the garage and bending over to pick up Daughter A to put her in the car. The last thing I recall thinking was “Wow! Do I feel dizzy!” After that, I have only 3 or 4 snippets of memory of the following week and a minimal recollection of several weeks after!

I had experienced, as doctors later explained, a “sudden cardiac arrest” on my kitchen floor! My in-laws immediately called 911 and my dear father-in-law began CPR.. Within minutes the local police arrived – they attempted to get my heart back into rhythm twice with a portable defibrillator that had been installed in the squad car just six weeks earlier. In fact, when the police officers used the defibrillator on me that day, it was the first time it had been used on a real person. My heart did not respond and then a few moments later the rescue squad arrived and after a few more attempts they were able to get my heart back into rhythm. I was rushed by ambulance to our nearby hospital while my mother-in-law comforted our little ones. The police went to the golf course, located my husband and told him what had happened and when he arrived at the hospital, the chaplain was there to meet him. Hubby was living most people’s worst nightmare! My parents were up north at their lake home and arrived home after church and a morning grocery run to hear the phone ringing off the hook. Needless to say, the groceries were not put away (and in fact laid on the counter for several days afterwards) as my parents rushed to the cities to be with me. My brothers and their families arrived at the hospital as did other close family and friends who all quickly took vigil.

What followed as I’ve been told, were countless hours and days of worry, waiting and prayers. I was in a coma, hooked up to many machines and life saving devices, totally unaware of anything that was happening. Later that day, the paramedics that had responded to the call, came to the hospital to check on me. They told Hubby and my parents that every link in the chain had worked that morning and that it was now in God’s hands. The doctors echoed that sentiment as well. My husband came home to talk to the girls that evening and while he was at home he received a call from the hospital that I had experienced another “code blue.” He raced back to the hospital, again not sure what he would find.

It was such a precarious time… one of the nurses that had tended to me that day, sat by my mom’s side when her shift ended, praying with my mom during that first uncertain night. The following morning, Hubby and my parents received discouraging news from a neurologist that IF I came out of my coma, there was over a 70% chance that I would not be able to live independently… heavy stuff, especially for a father of two young girls! As word spread of what had happened, my family was overwhelmed by the response of our friends, our church family, our colleagues, our community and strangers, too. My family heard of prayer groups gathering in our workplaces and of multiple prayers chains going out via email. After three days in a coma, I woke up, fully conscious and aware of my surroundings! In my circle of loved ones we have often referred to this as “our miracle” – In fact, the doctor on call that day, as well as several doctors since, have told us that there was more at work that day than their skill…

After much testing it was determined that I had developed a condition known as idiopathic cardiomyopathy. This condition, brought on, in my case, by a viral infection, was described as an inflammatory disorder of the heart muscle. The heart muscle is weakened and cannot pump blood efficiently. Due to the inflammation or enlarged heart, the electrical system of the heart can go “haywire” as mine did. The doctors further explained that the only warning signs I might have felt prior to the event could have been some dizziness or fatigue. Well… I had experienced a small bit of each, but what young mom, during allergy season, hasn’t?

By the end of the week, I had an internal pacemaker and defibrillator implanted in my chest – my doctors call it “my insurance policy” and I am now on my fourth device! Technology and its advances are amazing! Ten days later I was, miraculously, headed home!

June 11, 1999 - My brother and Mom came over to celebrate her birthday!

I’m not sure who looked more tired… Mom had definitely been through a lot, too!

For several months after, I basically rested and rested and rested some more with lots of people supporting us – driving us places, feeding us, cleaning our home! I received neurological testing and, while I still have occasional short-term memory loss and have trouble keeping a train of thought going, the doctor’s continue to be amazed at my recovery! (Of course, I’m 26 years older now, so some of my memory issues have become more “normal” as the years pass by! 😉)

It was a quiet summer!

All I wanted to do was to snuggle my Littles!

At that time (again, 26 years ago now) doctors shared with us that, out of the people who experienced sudden cardiac arrest outside of a medical setting, only 1 in 10 made it to the hospital alive and that out of those, only 1 out of 10 went back to leading a full life. They have also attributed my recovery and quality of life to the fact that my father-in-law (bless his soul!) started CPR – even though he had not been trained in CPR, he knew to begin chest compressions which in turn allowed the following measures to work! While I know this to be true and I am ever grateful to my father-in-law and his quick thinking, I also know, beyond a shadow of doubt, as did the rescue workers and doctors, that God’s handiwork was at work!

In those early months, my husband and I prepared ourselves for what the future might hold. We were told that many people with my condition went on to need a heart transplant while the likelihood of a full recovery was rare. Later that year, we were told that my heart had, in fact, rebounded! THANKS BE TO GOD! While my heart function has never completely recovered, I’ve still been able to live a life filled with immeasurable goodness! I found myself sharing the details of my story with local news media and church groups.

Of course, I have dealt with the residual effects from all that happened – fatigue, heart arrhythmias, night terrors and the side effects of medications have been repeated stumbling blocks over the years. More challenging though have been the mental obstacles - listening when my body says “slow down” and eventually developing confidence in my body once again, trusting my memory skills and believing in the strength of my own heart. There were times when I’ve had to accept my own physical and emotional limitations which can prove daunting and I’ve had frequent bouts of “survivor’s guilt” always wondering why I was saved when so many others with the same condition were not as fortunate.

And… let’s not forget my “insurance policy”! My defibrillator actually “did its job” and saved my life again in the fall of 2016, seventeen years later! Again, I was at home with Hubby this time and, at first, we didn't quite know what was going on! Within moments, I regained consciousness, grateful yet again!

I’ve now had a lot of years to adjust to these realities and changes and some days I even manage to forget that this event is even part of my life story. In fact, there are moments when I touch my chest or see its scar and once again reality returns!

Yet, through all these uncertainties, I have been reminded over and over again of the countless gifts God has showered upon me!

Today, of all days, I am reminded of the many gifts God has placed in my path

these past 26 years…

the gifts of gratitude, faith and love!

Twenty-six years later, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for so many things! I’m forever thankful for my in-laws who took the initiative during those first critical moments and saw our girls and me through it. I’m indebted to the emergency workers and the medical staff who cared for me during those early days and to my doctors who have continued to champion for me since. I’m humbled by my amazing circle of family and friends who have prayed for me and walked with me each day with special thanks to my husband, our daughters and our immediate families. I cherish you all!

The photo collage below is a glimpse of the memories and moments I’ve been able to experience during the past many years. I created this collage last year… so many moments I could have so easily missed!

And during this past year,

so many GRAND moments that continue to fill my heart!

I am ever mindful of the precious gift of time that has been given to me since that Spring day in 1999 - time spent pursuing work I was passionate about and now the opportunities retirement presents, time that allowed for the restoration of my health, time spent making memories with loved ones - these are all blessings! Of course, spending life with a man who has held my hand through it all, watching our babies grow into the beautiful souls they are today and more recently welcoming our SIL and two beautiful granddaughters into our family are all gifts that I treasure! Being here to celebrate all the moments of life with those I love is a blessing beyond compare and one I’ve promised myself to never take for granted! Through it all, God has sustained us and carried us…. Always… always, holding us in the palm of His hand. THANK YOU, GOD!

I have always known God’s grace and faithfulness in my life thanks to a solid foundation set by my mom and dad. I grew up in a family of faith with parents who walked the walk. As far back as I can remember, I’ve known that I am a Child of God and that all good things come through Him. My parents taught my brothers and I about God’s grace and His unconditional love and they modeled that in untold ways! When my husband and I were married, our wedding and the foundation of our life together was guided by two Bible verses - “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15) and then “For where your heart is, there will your treasure be also.” (Matthew 6: 21). We were both blessed by parents who provided compasses of faith and all four supported and loved us every step of the way!

My parents and Hubby’s parents at different points in life!!

So grateful for all they taught us!

Sadly, none of them are with us any longer, but their legacies of faith and family live on!

Proverbs 3: 5 and Psalm 46:: 10 are Bible verses we have turned to often!

Each has provided clarity during times of doubt and each has provided needed assurance that no matter what is happening around us, God is present, our refuge and strength. I often wonder how people without faith survive the crises that come with living. Knowing that God walks by my side, our side, even carrying us at times, brings us hope, comfort and peace! WHAT A GIFT!

The breadth and depth of God’s love is all around us and is the ultimate gift through all of this! My story is, I hope, a steadfast reminder of His grace and love! Along life’s journey – with its joys and uncertainties – God walks by our side and His miracles abound… we just have to open our eyes and our hearts to see them and to trust in His enduring love!

This gift of love also offers an ongoing challenge to one and all… to respond to His love by being a light to those around us! A GIFT WE ARE CALLED TO SHARE!

While I’ll never know this side of heaven, why this happened or why I was also spared, I can embrace and celebrate every gift God has blessed me with knowing that God has a plan for my life as He does for us all! The fact that May 23, 1999 fell on Pentecost Sunday has never been lost on me! You see, on Pentecost we remember that the Holy Spirit was sent to draw our attention to God and to fill our hearts with His goodness, compassion and love!