A Day for Remembering

November 12 is a day that we always remember two significant events: Kathy's birthday and Janet's stroke.


Kathy would have been 28 today. We still miss her, but look forward to joining her in the celebration around God's throne someday. We enjoy watching her son grow up so quickly, and try make the most of the brief time we've been given with him and everyone else we love. We try to be thankful instead of anxious, bitter, or fearful. And we remember how special, and normal, our little sister was. You should read what her husband had to say about her today at http://micahschronicles.blogspot.com.

Now, about that other milestone... 10 years ago today, while Janet's family was celebrating Kathy's 18th birthday, Janet was feeling very sick with a horrible headache. I (Mark) was at a collegiate retreat, and when I talked to her on the phone she sounded incoherent, but I didn't know what to think. Her parents took her to the hospital the next morning, and we soon discovered she'd had a stroke. Yes, at 21 years old, only 2 months after we had gotten engaged, Janet had an ischemic stroke. It affected the part of her mind that processes speech and working memory, and in the first few days it was, well, frightening. She couldn't remember short-term things and couldn't get words "off her tongue". She had what is known as aphasia. In the first weeks, however, she improved rapidly. After several months of outpatient therapy, she was able to gradually go back to school. Wow, did we learn a lot about cognition, talking to your professors, and adjusting your plans! Occasionally, we still notice little aphasic moments, like switching pronouns ("you" vs. "me" - which can really be confusing for a husband who genuinely wants to do what his wife is asking!!) or using a wrong, random word. That's why we have a saying, "words and their meanings are interchangeable". Of course, people do this all the time, but for Janet it happens because of how her brain had to re-wire itself after the stroke. What an amazing Creator, to give us such resilient minds!

Anyway, so much has happened since then, that we rarely talk about the stroke. But TODAY, we remember how God watched over Janet through a very scary episode in our lives. Oh, and Dr. Kirshner, if you're reading this--thanks! The phantom does float over the foggy heath, and with much less trouble than he used to. Thanks also to all the therapists at Vanderbilt's Stallworth Rehab and the Bill Wilkerson Pi Beta Phi clinic, especially for teaching Janet how to play "nerts", the coolest card game ever.

The important thing on days like this, when we remember times of grief and times of deliverance, is to remember who holds us in his hands, how good He is, and how graciously He works through friends and family when we need it the most.