On Jan. 2, I stepped off the treadmill gasping for breath and learned I’d flunked the test, but this failing grade could put a permanent period on my earthly life.
Terror struck my heart at the thought of leaving my family behind even though my faith in God assured me peace and love awaited me on the other side.
Fear is a terrific motivator.
I gave up red meat, butter and high-fat foods, hoping my changes even at this late date might make a difference. Two months later, an Olympia cardiologist inserted a stent in an artery into my heart to increase blood flow around a 95 percent blockage.
So as Thanksgiving approaches this year, I count my blessings as I do every year, but especially the blessing of still being here to celebrate with my cherished loved ones.
After surviving an operation to insert a stent — perhaps routine for the cardiologist but seldom for the patient — I decided to take a hard look at my bucket list and quit putting off longed-for trips. My husband and I toured British Columbia and Alberta in August, an item on his list. I’m visiting the Panama Canal with my sister, crossing off a desire from my list.
Last weekend, I sold books at the Elma Country Christmas Bazaar, sharing a table with fellow authors Sandy Crowell (author of “The Land Called Lewis” and “Water, Woods, and Prairies”) and Bill Lindstrom (who wrote “John Tornow: Victim or Villain? The untold story of the ‘Wildman of the Wynooche and Strait Press”). I visited with passersby, greeted old friends and thought how, despite contentious election seasons, we all have more in common than divides us.
Sometimes, our favored candidate wins; other times, the one we liked loses. But life goes on. I liked a meme on Facebook before the election that stated: “Don’t lose friendships today over two people who don’t even know your name.”
That’s so true, and it’s sad to see how fractured our divided nation has become. Families disagree. Friends no longer speak. Some on each side demonize those who hold different beliefs. Even in my own family, I’ve seen divisions over politics create tensions among people who love each other.
A year ago, I spent a week in November in Los Cabos with my four sisters at an all-inclusive hotel. My eldest and youngest sisters have made the annual trip to Mexico with their husbands to celebrate their birthday: they were born on the same day, six years and 15 minutes apart.
At one point, one of my sisters mentioned that Donald Trump might win election as president again.
I threw out a quick quip: “Only if he steals the election.”
When she stood and walked away, I realized my offhand comment offered partly in jest had offended her. I never want to destroy relationships over politics. I love my sisters and my brother too much to let differences in opinions separate us. The next day, all was fine. Just as the Bible promises that nothing can separate us from God’s love, we should let nothing separate us from our love for one another.
Another Facebook meme offered wisdom: “Please don’t let the elephants and donkeys make you forget you belong to The Lamb!”
Our faith, our family relationships, our friendships mean so much more than politics, even though, as my husband points out, voting decides who controls the government, which can adversely affect our lives. But it doesn’t need to destroy our relationships.
While I counted my blessings over the weekend, I did what I often do: I picked up my camera and snapped photos. I love to chronicle life as I live it.
In the past, before Facebook, my digital photos remained trapped in my camera or on my memory card, never to be printed. But the advent of Facebook allowed me to share those photos with friends online in more than 4,000 albums.
What’s most fun, and a reminder of the blessings in my life, is when Facebook pops up with a photo from a year ago, five years ago, a decade ago. Often it’s a photo of one of my children when they were younger. Other times it’s a precious friend who has passed away, and I think how grateful I am to have known them. That happened with a photo of the late Margaret Shields of Centralia and Harold Borovec of Chehalis who were walking together in the Lewis County Historical Museum. My life is richer from having known them both.
So as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s time to set aside political differences and simply enjoy being in the presence of loved ones. If you have time, pull out your camera and snap photos to capture those precious memories. Open the video or audio recorder on your phone and ask questions about the past (I have lists of oral history questions on my website at www.chaptersoflife.com under Help for Historians). Treasure your family and your shared past and preserve it for future generations.
And count your blessings.
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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.
