10.19.08, 1 Year Later, Kal

Hello all, this is Kal. 

It has been a while since I have written on the blog.  I wish you all well.  What had initially begun as a way to communicate Jitka’s condition to everyone has since developed into so much more.  I remember, initially how difficult to type it was, through my blurry eyes.  It was better than speaking, which was impossible.  This blog became a way to share my thoughts and feelings…my prayers and fears, with everyone that I cared about-including myself.  Surprisingly, it seemed that the whole town (and country for that matter) caught onto the blog and I would get e-mail after e-mail from people whom we had never met offering help, prayer and encouragement.  This blog has transcended it’s capacity as simply a form of communication and has become an instrument displaying the goodness of humanity.  If anything positive has come of this situation, I think that we have learned low truly and intrinsically kind and generous people are.  

I am so glad that my fears were not realized and that Jitka is still with us.  She has come so far in the past year.  It seems that the time has flown.  She recently had a trip to a scientific meeting.  She wanted to go alone and stay by herself.  Just last week.  That’s when I realized that Jitka was getting back to herself!  You see, no matter how difficult something may be, if Jitka sets her mind to it, there is little hope of convincing her of otherwise.  Very loveably stubborn as how I would describe it.  A year out, and she is still making progress in leaps and bounds.

Well, what about me?  A year later I have learned some very important lessons.  For so long I was living to work.  Now I work to live.  So many times that I should have just taken time to go visit my sister and I thought that I just couldn’t get away.  No more-I have a second chance.  I will spend every moment with my wife, my children, my parents and my sister and her family and my friends that I can.  Everything else that we worry about; the job, the house, the bills, the 401K, are a waste of time.  So called stress.  Stress is fighting for your life.  Those other things are inconveniences.  I learned that there are some magnificent, selfless people in the world.  There is a large concentration of them surrounding Jitka!  Thank you so much for taking care of my sister.  

May God bless you all.  Gratefully, Kal