Thursday, November 23, 2006

 

Giving Thanks...

First, let me say happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I spent most of the day at my parents. The family gathered there to celebrate the day. My Mom, Dad, Sarah, Madeline, Grandpa, and my roommate Jamie sat around the table and enjoyed the wonderful meal prepared by Mom and Sarah. Dad may have had something to do with the meal but I doubt it. Usually he makes oyster dressing but, since Uncle Mike couldn't make it this year, no one else would eat the oyster dressing.

It wasn't brought up but, the fact that a year ago, in a drug induced fog, my parents had to tell me what had happened, didn't escape my mind. (I was in the drug induced fog, not my parents. Although a year ago my entire family was on antidrepressants and sleeping pills as a result of the accident.) I was awake at this point a year ago but I have no memory of it. It wasn't until about three days later that the veil between fantasy and reality began to fade.

Mom and dad didn't plan on telling me about the accident on Thanksgiving. They had been told to wait until I asked. At that point I couldn't speak but, the way they've described it to me, I became very agitated, sat up in bed, and was pointing at my legs while mouthing the words why, where, and how. So they broke the news to me.

Now, I do have a vague memory of sitting on the deck of a cruise ship, somewhere in the Mediterranean, having a conversation with my dad. He was telling me that none of this (the cruise) was real and that I had been in a bad accident and a fire. It seems to me that in the hallucinated conversation I told him that I knew all of that but that it wasn't important. What was important was an imagined adventure involving drug smugglers and kidnappings that I had somehow wound up stuck in the middle of.

In truth the accident and the fire weren't important. It happened and it's changed my life, the lives of those involved that night, and the lives of countless others in ways that none of us could ever have imagined. On this day we should all pause and give thanks for what's important in our lives.

Certainly I'm not thankful for the accident (if I could find Mr. Peabody and use his Wayback Machine to change the events of that night I would happily do so) but I am thankful for the strength and support that has come out of it. I'm thankful for the fact that we both survived and that the scars from that night have begun to heal. I'm thankful for the friends, new and old, who have come into my life. I'm thankful for so much more that I cannot find the words to describe it.

This is a day of thanks. It's a day to recognize survival and all the things that help us to survive. Without the support you have all given, be it physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual I would not have survived this past year. Yes, I might still be alive, and while the accident did change me, many of you have made the comment that I'm "still Jeremy". Without you that would not be the case. Thank you for helping me stay whole and not allowing the personality that existed before the accident to be replaced by something darker.

Take a moment and think on the things that help you to be who you are. Give thanks for this world and the divine presence that permeates it. Give thanks for those around you and their influence on your life. Look up at the sky and give thanks for the fact that you are alive and have the opportunity to give thanks.

Comments:
Jeremy,

I am glad to hear you had a nice Thanksgiving with your wonderful family. Jennie and I are thankful for many things today but the lessons and inspiration you provide are at the top of our list. Thanks for being such a great friend for many years. Take care and continue with your awesome progress.
 
All I can say is amen. You've worded it so well. Thank you for sharing your words and thoughts with us. Thank you for being who your are. As for the oysters? No great loss in my opinion......

Eva Jo
 
Much love to you and yours.

I am so proud of you, and so proud to call you my friend.

I hope to see you soon!

Much love,
Coll
 
I'm so sorry I am just now reading your blog, the week was filled with so many things to get done.
Yes, being thankful is something we should do everyday not just Thanksgiving.
I'm thankful for the day you walked into my life. From day one, I knew you were special. I knew we would have a great relationship and understanding.
So many things have come and gone since that day but the one thing that remains intact is our friendship.
So, I'm thankful for a lot of things especially grateful that God gave you another chance to grace this earth with your presence.
I knew it was too soon for you to leave, you still have a lot to get done.
Thanks for being Jeremy and being so poetic in your words.
May each and every day bring you closer to your goals. Stay strong my friend you still have a lot of lives to touch....
Love you,
Marsha
 
Yes, you ARE still Jeremy and I had no doubt in my mind you would be from the night Amber told me of the accident. I knew you would survive, and I knew your words such as you wrote on the blog this time, would be what you would say. Thank God for you, my friend!
 
Jeremy, I just read your Thanksgiving update. Tears cloud my eyes. Thank you.
 
Jeremy,

Sorry, I meant to post this sooner. I hope you still see it. I am so glad you had a good Thanksgiving. To think about how far you've come in a year is amazing. I've probably said this before but you are a true testament to the human spirit and the will to survive. I feel proud that I have gotten to "know" you over this past year and have been able to share your journey.

Maggie
PS I am not wearing my glasses so I apologize if there are typos...
 
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