STEPPING OUT

Good Morning on Ruby Tuesday for me - remember to sparkle and shine.

This is an early morning post from me - a busy day ahead with a training session at Donate Life and I am stepping out in faith on this beautiful morning.     Stepping out in faith on a grand adventure and looking forward to sharing with others the overwhelming joy of my gifted life. 

I am a little apprehensive - but that's fine because it will keep me sharp and alert and open and receptive to taking in what the day holds for me.  There will be some people there that I have met before but there will be others I have not encountered before and I am looking forward to sharing my story with the group.

The early part of this event involves each participant introducing themselves and explaining their connection to Donate Life.

That will not be an issue - I know who I am and I am comfortable with me  and I know the story of my journey and the joy and delight of my gifted life and my purpose in being there is to share the wonder of organ and tissue donation ~ a wonderful man made a decision that gave me life and "how can I keep from singing? "

I stand in awe of the technical procedures and testing that must be done for this special surgery to take place.   I am full of admiration for the teams who stand for hours doing amazing surgical procedures and for the nursing staff who make sure all is well.  Donor families are my heroes - they make a monumental decision at a time of great stress and often trauma.

I often think of Dr. Christian Barnard the South African pioneer of heart transplant - and indeed of transplants generally and all those who do the research and study to make this possible.

All over the world there are clinics who daily bring the gift of life to someone - and my thoughts and thanks are eternal.

Life is different but life is good.   There is in me an awareness of just how small I am in the scheme of things and yet how precious I am and how much I am cared for, loved and cherished.   Yes, I am a number ~ number 194 ~ at Flinders Medical Centre and my file it huge but I was never treated as a number ~ I was treated with great dignity and respect ~ with tenderness and care.

So today I am stepping out with faith and hope and I can't see the whole staircase, but I know this is the way my journey is taking me and this is the first of what will be many steps.

There is a smile on my lips and a song in my heart and I know I take these steps with the love and support of the special people in my life ~ those who have taken a similar journey and who hope to live their lives to capacity and those on the home front who went through the transplant experience with me.

I will do all that I can to try to give back some of the joy that has been given to me ~ to share and support and offer hope to others whose road is currently rough and steep.

It is hard to believe that my transplant took place two and a half years ago and that my life is so changed.  I am not living in my past, nor reliving the dramas that were mine, I am trying to be a positive force for good and transplant in my little corner of the world.

Time now to slip into the shower and get going on my adventure ~ taking the first step with faith ~ keeping my eyes on the hedgerow and not upon the thorns.

Thank you for visiting and sharing my joy in the fact that I am well enough to do things like this - thank you for your support and love.   Thank you from a very thankful heart.

Enjoy a special Ruby Tuesday and I send love and hugs.

Linda.