As this is being written, we are watching TV coverage of the devastation in Japan from the earthquake. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the earthquake and the tsunami.
A Heart That Sings:
The following poem was written for a friend who recently underwent successful heart valve surgery. This individual took very good care of herself and still needed surgery. She is now doing fine. It causes me to wonder: How many of us take our health for granted and don’t do what we know we should do to protect that health? Nature gave us the gift of life, and we continue to tempt our own fates by poor dietary habits and inactivity. While it’s amazing what modern medicine can do, so many of the miracles we want or need performed for us or on us would be unnecessary if we made the effort to take care of ourselves. How many people have had a scare and then resolved to do better, only to fail after a short time and return to those behaviors that brought on the scare in the first place? Couldn’t we do better? The magic of medicine can only work so many miracles. Why tempt fate? We must take care of ourselves. And wouldn’t our world be better for it? And our families? And think of the money we’d save!!
But while you are at it, thank your doctors and nurses and all health care professionals. They are highly intelligent, and the vast majority work very hard to take care of us! We need them. Thank you to them!
This is for anyone undergoing surgery, especially heart surgery, with special gratitude to their health care professionals!
A Heart that Sings
In a world that sometimes seems intent on stealing biggest dreams– that takes those things we know are right and puts them somewhere out of sight– we still find hope in little things: a child’s smile; a wagging tail; an artist’s eye; a heart that sings.
These are things we know are real, that we can see and hear and feel; these are things that we can sense, that touch our hearts in present tense. But there are times we must believe in things so hard to conceive: anesthesia; lung machine; Life now tied to things unseen– surgeon’s hand; nurse’s skill; knowledge; know-how; commitment; will; God and faith and our good health; and most of all to Life itself.
But you are ready; you’re prepared; soon your heart will be repaired. And when you wake up from this rest, you’ll feel the rhythm in your chest– subtle, perfect and oh so strong, your heart now singing Life’s best song, with hope restored in biggest things: an active life; a family’s love; a curious mind; a heart that sings.
Now you’re back where you belong.
©Daniel Mark Extrom
2011. All rights reserved.
