"This story, like all great tales, will break your heart, but it will also make you realize - or remember - that sometimes the pain is worth it."
When I read those words I felt like they might be an appropriate way to end this blog, which has for all intents and purposes come to the end of it's useful life all on its own. All good stories have an ending though, and these few words will be the final page of this tale - this great story that has been full of heartbreak and revelation, of loss and of love, of longing and renewal.
Just a few days ago we passed the one year mark from the date Emily became ill, and I thought that might also be an appropriate time to tie up some loose ends and tell you where things stand in case you were left wondering.
Emily is still transitioning from weekly therapy to full time work. Currently she's working three days a week and going to therapy the other two. One new development, however, is that she's mostly been driving herself to therapy! Within the last few weeks she's begun driving short distances again, and it's made the transition easier all the way around (if only we could just get two cars working at the same time!)
I've been approved for commissioning as a provisional elder in the North Carolina conference of the UMC, and will be receiving my first full-time clergy appointment this summer. As we wait for more certainty in that area Emily hopes to be back to full time work by June when appointments take effect.
Just a few weeks ago I finally tore down the wheelchair ramp on the back of the house and re-built the porch that was there before. It felt good to rip the ramp apart. As grateful as we were to have it, and to have the friends to help us build it, it was good to get things back to normal. And as the old things became new again, I used the rest of the wood to build a dog house for Ruth Ann.
I'm happy to say that that seems to be the theme of this last post - the theme of renewal.
We have learned a great deal over this last year. We have learned to appreciate life, and those we love, more fully than ever before. We have learned the importance of small things, and the sustaining power of hope. We have tested the depths of our faith , and found that we have been renewed in ways that we could never have imagined. This story - though at times it has been heartbreaking - has made us realize that though life can be painful, it is also precious, and delicate and beautiful.
Grace and peace,
Emily and Jim
