It’s Thanksgiving. Boy Howdy! What a couple of months I’ve had. A whole boat load of things for which to be thankful–four book releases—two by C.C. Hunter, and two by Christie Craig—one kidney transplant, a wedding anniversary, and a birthday. (Not my kidney transplant, my hubby’s, but and since I’m his spouse, I’m gonna claim it.) And the one I’m proudest of? Sorry fans, that kidney comes first.
I didn’t talk about my husband’s health issues a lot. Hubby, who loves to keep everyone laughing, didn’t want his hard times out there. But after almost five years of dialysis, it had taken its toll. To anyone who has dealt with a chronic illness of a spouse or a loved one, you know the heart break, the fears, and the emotional roller coaster. You alternate between having faith, and preparing yourself for the inevitable.
I offered him my kidney, but as a pre-diabetic, I wasn’t a candidate. My daughter offered him hers. He wouldn’t take it. He said she was too young and she might become diabetic because it ran in my family. My son couldn’t donate because he has PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) like his dad. His sister couldn’t donate because she has high blood pressure.
The kidney he got was a gift from a donor who had lost his life. I grieve for the family and loved ones who lost this generous person. Later on, I will get the chance to write them a letter of thanks, and you can bet I will put my heart and soul into that letter. I want them to know what this gift has given our family. And to anyone out there who is debating whether or not to sign up to be a donor, I want to encourage you to do it. When I no longer need this body, I hope it can offer someone a chance at life.
A lot of people have asked me how I managed to write my humorous tales while we dealt with difficult times. I have told them that writing isn’t just what I do for a living, writing is my passion, and my salvation. To put aside my own worries and write a love story that makes me laugh got me through some hard times. It just goes along with the family motto: if you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Believe it or not, while we have had some tough times, my family has lived and laughed our way through this last five years. And we laughed our way through this kidney transplant, too.
So this year, I’m very thankful for a lot of things. Kidneys, releases, life. I’m also very thankful for my fans. You guys make it possible for me to do this.
And here’s a contest for my loyal fans.
I’m giving away two sets of signed hardback copies of Reborn & Eternal. So leave a comment and tell me what you are thankful for to be entered to win.