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Do you Trust like a Melon?
It was three o’clock in the morning when the cell phone rang. No, it shrieked. I was so sound asleep I didn’t know if it was an ambulance or a tornado siren in my bedroom. “Who is it?” My heart pounded and my body shook. “Calm down,” my husband said as he picked up his phone. One of the hardest things about having a physician husband is surviving night calls. That’s the other side of medicine that only the family gets to experience. “Why do you always expect bad news?” he was asleep before I could respond. It took my heart a while to calm down and my body to…
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Restoration Project- Kintsugi Style
“Can you tell me a little more about that restoration business?” I asked my niece. “Well,” she smiled “Technically it’s the repair or renovation of works that have already sustained decay with the attempt to restore a work to its original, undamaged appearance”(britannica.com) I grabbed another cup of coffee and sank in my favorite chair to savor my improvised lecture. “But there are other techniques used to restore pieces. Have you ever heard of Kintsugi?” Knowing that her hospital administrator aunt has limited knowledge of the art world, she barely paused for my response. “It’s a Japanese technique where they take broken pottery and instead of trying to put it…
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A Smile from Heaven
“Hurry up and pray to Jesus for a wish before midnight!” I said as we followed our New Year’s tradition. Both girls closed their eyes tight whispering with praying hands. “What’d you ask for, what’d you ask for!” they inquired of each other. “I want a Barbie doll house,” said my youngest excitedly. “I want a baby brother!” declared the oldest as she jumped up and down. “What?” I bolted as if stung by a wasp. “Are you sure you don’t want something else, like a puppy, or a fish or a toy?” Putting her hand on her hip she said, “It’s my wish and my prayer to Jesus and…
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The Great Exchange
“Hurry up, we don’t have much time!” my husband rushed into the kitchen. We grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the kitchen table. The race track was set. On the left: boxes and wrapping paper. On the right: scissors and tape. Pine scented candles and holiday music served as happy spectators. The oven timer served as the referee that would blow his whistle in the two hours, right before the kids came home from school. “On your mark, get set, go!” he laughed. “And remember to save the receipts in case we have to return anything.” As the race against time began, I admired the gifts. We carefully…
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Do You Believe in Miracles?
He walked into the ICU like he did every day, except his heart weighed heavier than usual. He had been chosen by the patient’s family to deliver the news, a heart wrenching task which was harder than his fourteen years of medical training. Family members had spent days in the waiting room, praying for their dear mother and trusting that the doctors were doing their best to get her well. He held the lady’s hand and took a deep breath. “You know you’ve been in a coma, and we didn’t know if you were going to make it.” He looked away, praying for the right words. “Unfortunately, in order to…
