105,120 Hours.
How many of you are reaching for your phone to run the calculator
and see what other unit of time might equate to a bit over 105 thousand
hours? It turns out that it’s another
way to view 12 years time. Twelve years might
be a short period of time if you’re an anthropologist interested in what
happened thousands of years, not thousands of hours, ago. Twelve years might be an eternity if you’ve
just turned two years old. Yet twelve
years is what has passed since my liver transplant took place back in the year
2005. One hundred five thousand, one
hundred twenty hours have expired since I took receipt of that precious gift
provided by a wonderful man and his grieving family.
I usually try to take it all 1440 minutes at a time, or said
in another way, day by day. That’s most
likely 57,600 seconds of time spent awake each day. The different perspectives of time, in years,
days, minutes and seconds bring a new vision to the depth and breath of the
gift and the use thereof. How many more
experiences I have had the pleasure to be a part of, how many have my donor’s
family missed. It makes me wonder,
ponder and yes be beyond grateful. Yet
too, perhaps a time or two to be guilty.
Has my use of those periods of time, both considered short
and long depending on the particular day and way to consider them, been
purposeful and meaningful? Like
everyone, I have to honestly say, “sometimes.”
There have been periods of time when it’s very clear I’m living on a
second chance, and yet there are times when I forget about the sacrifice. It’s not for a lack of gratitude, but rather
out of acceptance and being caught up in the day to day. I wonder if that’s not the way it ought to
be? There would seem to be little point
to living with doubt and timidity, and yet when living in the moment your
thoughts are one the experience of the immediate present not of how it is that
you are able to be there.
Then there are days like today. Those days of reflection and remembrance of the
difficulties and struggles to some degree but more of the life lived. It’s interesting too, that the liver story is
not yet done, as even this past year had a good deal of working through things. Even now we’re adjusting meds to try to
obtain the right combination. However, it’s the times with family and friends,
holidays, scenic drives, motorcycle rides, movies, meetings, concerts, trips,
good food and so much more that come to mind telling a story of the blessings
received.
I’m reminded today, as I hope you are as well, that the new
day is not promised. Life is
unpredictable and maybe even more precious for that very fact, so each day’s 1440
minutes should be treasured. We each have a unique story. Isn’t there, though, a
bigger story that we share collectively.
A greater story of being intertwined with each other. I’m glad to have shared and merged my chapters
and become a part of the tome written as a community. I don’t know what I’d be, or where I’d be
without Deborah, my family, church family, friends, colleagues and so many
heath care professionals.
Here’s to you all, and to another 8,760 minutes until we
recall it all again. Have a good year
everyone. Love you all.
Peace,
Brian
