December 2011

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with ALS. When I was given the diagnosis of ALS, the only thing I could think of at the time was, I'm going to die. Most people live on average three to five years. I have exceeded that time span by a year.


I remember the first Christmas after my diagnosis was a sad time for me. The only thing on my mind at that point was how many more years I will get to spend Christmas with my family. Now I'm actually looking forward to this Christmas. As the years go by, I focus less about dying and more about living. I am fully aware of what this disease will do to my body, slowly rendering every muscle in my body useless, evenually leaving me paralized and unable to breathe, resulting in death. Until then, I intend to live and enjoy life as best as I can.


For some, the holidays can be a time of sadness and somewhat bittersweet due to the loss of a loved one, illness, or some other tragic event. My thoughts and prayers go out to those in that situation. I pray they will experience peace and joy during the holiday season, despite their situation.


One thing I learned, giving gifts is nice and a fun time with family and friends, but there so many around us that literally have nothing. How many of us need more stuff? That's all it is, stuff. Probably things we could do without. Why not bless those less fortunate and bring real joy to those in need. After all, Christmas is the time of year we celebrate the greatest gift of all, the birth of God's gift to mankind, Jesus the Savior of the world. So this year, don't forget why we celebrate Christmas and make this a time where we can give a gift to those that could truly use what most of us could do do without.
Hope you all have a blessed Christmas season a Happy New Year!