Reflection

Light and sound both have the ability to reflect - to bend and come back.  Here’s a striking photo of the sun reflecting on the lake, taken on my evening walk:

  

There’s another definition, however. When we pause for serious reflection, our thoughts also bend…inward.  They come back.  And back.  Like a repeating echo.

This evening I’m reflecting on today’s phone call from my husband’s heart failure specialist.  Evidently the blood work done yesterday yielded excellent results, unlike any other heart patient EVER in that office.  Perfect results.  In every category. 

A year ago today he didn’t realize his heart was rapidly declining.  In just a few weeks the blood vessels in his extremities would start to shut down to preserve blood for vital organs. He would be hospitalized.  Three times.

He emerged from the dark valley of severe heart failure in December - frail, but intact.  Every professional on his team agrees that his recovery since then has been unprecedented.

At this point in his journey, we take one day at a time and savor it.  As our daughter aptly said, “There’s nothing better than strength, except strength after weakness.”  How true.  We will continue to reflect on this truth for the rest of our lives.