Surgery and my Global Family

When things like surgery happen to you it makes you contemplate our global existence and how family fits into that. When I first found out that I was going to have surgery I was very sad because I do not have a lot of family that is close in proximity to me in Maryland. 100 years ago it was our immediate family in the village or tribe (where we grew up) that took care of us when life went wrong. However since families live so far away in 21st century, I have had to transition to a more global way of looking at the idea of family. In order to deal with the distance between blood related families it is imperative that we treat the world at large as our extended family doing for them what we would have done for our families in small tribes. Not only is it important to give people in our community care but it is important to take help from those around us when life goes aerie. The word “family” has to be more linked today with geographic location rather then blood ties. In a recent meditation that I had before I went to the hospital I was reminded that I am a child of the universe not just of two earthly parents. Therefore everyone is technically my family and there are no divisions between us. We are all children of the universe. Some would say we are decedents of Adam and Eve and the spark of God lives in each and every one of us. Wherever there are people we have family. There is no such thing as being alone.

Today I was blessed by being the recipient of this new type of global family and I am so grateful. My surgery went very well. All the doctors and nurses took such good care of me at the Edward Pavilion at Anne Arundel Medical Center but I found a special connection to my Anesthesiologist who was this amazingly beautiful woman who had four children about the same ages as mine. We swapped parent stories and laughed so much the tears were almost ran down my face. My Anesthesiologist told me that she would be with me every step of the way in the operating room. Although each person that I came across today at the hospital treated me with dignity and respect (and even a smile) I was ecstatic when my doctor told me that my rotator cuff and ligament were only 20% torn which means I will be out of the sling in 3 days and recovery will be only a month. This was the best case scenario and is a dream come true--especially with 3 kids at home. I owe so many people thanks today for uplifting me and helping me to get well. I owe thanks not only the people that I just met today but also to all the people in my personal life. Scott for one continues to be the back bone of my existence. I was so touched by the teddy bear (in a sling) and poster that welcomed me home on the front porch that he did with the kids. But my gratitude did not stop there. My local community came through for me in immeasurable ways. I am so grateful. Beth who took me to the hospital (stayed with me) and brought me copious amounts of pudding from Trader Joes that I ate ravenously. But the help did not stop there. Alexandra came over to bring our family dinner. Then Teri stepped up to watch me so that I would not be in the house alone in the house while Scott drove Alex to the Popkins for a sleep over. The help was like a bottomless well. So many people called, emailed me and sent me text to let me know that I was loved—and all of these expressions of love were so appreciated. I feel so overwhelmingly grateful to the universe for expressing its love for me in this form. I truly feel at one with my global family and am brimming with thanksgiving.