Sometimes life throws us a curve ball

This entry is not about knitting - it's about the miracles of family.
I am fortunate enough to have two wonderful daughters. Erin just turned 22 years old - Here she is with one of her cats, Alicia (who is known for jumping up on your shoulders to give you a cheek smooch!)



Erin is a fabulously successful artist (watch for her upcoming website in 2006!) and she recently finished a rigorous 3 year training program as a stylist for one of the top salons in the country, Gary Manuel Salon. Her beauty, independence and success never cease to amaze me.




My youngest daughter, Kate is another miracle child. Pictured here last summer, she has now turned 15 years old and is a freshman in highschool. She maintains a 4.0 average at an advanced technical high school in Atlanta and she has plans to attend M.I.T. in a few years. (and I have absolutely no doubt she'll do it!)
A couple of years ago, Kate asked to go and live with her Dad and StepMom. Her Dad and I had divorced when she was very little, and she wanted to get to know this great guy (yes, he truly is that) With an aching heart, yet full of understanding for her desire, I let her go. We talk often and she is blooming with success and joy.
There can be nothing better than seeing one's children succeed.

The curve ball that life has thrown is that Kate has Childhood Crohn's Disease. For those who don't know what this is, it is an illness where the colon closes down with scar-like tissue causing deep pain and limited digestion. While this is normally an illness that rears its ugly head in middle age, Kate has had trouble since birth.
At this moment, she is in a hospital, having had surgery 5 days ago to remove some of her colon. She is being very brave, yet having a pretty bad time of it. She's not yet able to eat and digest anything, and between fevers over 102 and tubes down into her stomach she continues to fight to heal from this surgery. The surgeon had to remove quite a bit of her colon - yet feels he got all of the obstructions. Last night showed small improvements - no vomitting, and a little cooler temperature. Kate is only allowed ice chips right now and said that she is dreaming of a big glass of water.
And so the miracle of family... Mine is spread across this country: California, Michigan, Florida, and Germany. My ex-husband (Dad of my beautiful daughters) and his wife are in Georgia, with their family in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, and New York. So many prayers and loving thoughts from across this continent and Europe.
I ask for yours to join them.
thank you.