2019 Word of the Year Holding Strong

Brain cancer...

 ...satisfied with our choice for Word of the Year:  Perspective.

The allegory:  The lovely plant, above, is at the hospital entrance.  I have been taking photos of it daily since we started visiting Gordon in ICU.  Every day I've hit "delete," disappointed by each of my photos, unable to capture our appreciation of this plant's beauty.  Today I got the shot I wanted.  I got the photo by standing way to the side and kneeling down.  Not until I changed my perspective drastically could I capture the subject in a way that satisfied me.  

Recent events have us thinking about our Word of the Year, perspective.  It's holding strong in its usefulness in our attempts to make sense in our lives...in many ways.

Here's one way:  We realize how many medical people's perspectives we need to gain before we can form our own conclusions.  Every nurse and physician makes a slightly different contribution to our understanding of Gordon's case.

Here's another:  Going through this medical issue with Gordon post Darrell's diagnosis feels very different than our earlier experiences with medical issues for loved ones.  Life 2.0 has shifted our reactions to the hospital setting, our understandings of events, our roles, everything.

And one more:  Recent events (Gordon and beyond) are strongly underscoring for us the insight that everyone has a perspective, and none of us can fully understand that perspective, no matter how desperately we may wish to do so.  We need to operate with that insight as a baseline, and then watch, listen, and ask gentle questions to discover a little about how the world is for other people.  It's a humbling thing to remember.

Let's Close with Vicarious Fun.

Happy thoughts of future retirement seem to linger on the minds of many of our family and friends lately.  Tomorrow (Friday), as you go about your day, we invite you to bask in someone's last day ever at work.

Our great friend Beth retires tomorrow after 35 years of doing incredible work as a teacher.  Let's enjoy it with her, Team D.  Imagine how it feels to be setting the alarm and going to work for the very last time. Enjoy that last, well deserved day, Beth, and know that oh so many of us are sitting on your shoulder, enjoying it vicariously.  Ahhh!