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Thanksgiving continues everyday
The other day I was at an Outback restaurant in Minnesota and I noticed a guy sitting a few tables away with an artificial leg sticking out from the table and my presumption was either it was an accident or possibly he was a military man. Dinner came and I happened to glance over at him when I noticed a woman stand behind him and lift him from his arm pits out of his chair. In fact he had no legs and no left arm and a partial right arm all encased in prosthetics. And what was I annoyed with that day? My husband is crazy about turkeys and can't pass up a good deal. There were four in our refrigerator in the garage and one cooking in the oven and it seemed excessive to me. Man, I needed a reality check.
Even though I may not agree with our government's decision to be fighting in countries I question, I know that those brave men and women are there for all of us. I am humbled by that. I don't know if this young man was injured in a catastrophic accident, born with huge challenges or in fact was in the military but I know that it was a good visual reminder for me to quit complaining about the little things in my life and be grateful once again for our military, my husband and even a group of turkeys waiting nearby. (I refer to the ones in the frig, not the 3 men I live with!)
I also want to take this time to thank everyone in my life that supported me, challenged me, and paid me this year. I am a different person since last Thanksgiving by the experiences I had this year and many of you were part of that. I spoke in 20 states, some more than once, and was pleased to be invited to speak in Montreal and Vancouver as well. With these thousands of people, we laughed a lot, shed a few tears, learned from one another and kept moving forward.
Some personal highlights for me included a family trip to Egypt in January just before the revolution and finishing the GYGIG bike ride, 150 miles in 2 days in the rolling hills of Wisconsin. Also seeing the fruition of months of work on my latest book, It's in the Bag and Under the Covers where several authors of stories from the book shared their personal anecdotes at the conference at a panel facilitated by me in Reno, Nevada. The books were generously provided to each one of the attendees of the United Ostomy Association of America by my corporate sponsor, Hollister Incorporated. The audience was spellbound by the subject and the wonderful sharing that went on by the panel members. What a thrill to bring out these covert subjects of dating, sex, intimacy and caregiving for people with ostomies into a bright light at last. Thanks to all the writers who contributed.
If I didn't get to see you this year, I shall look forward to a hopeful reunion in 2012. May your holidays be filled with good cheer, great health and love and peace. | 
