Tuesday, February 9, 2016

VALENTINE HEART by Christine Bush


Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, love is in the air.

 Today I’m thinking about a deep, deep important kind of love.  The love of a grandchild.  It’s more important that chocolate filled hearts, or any other kind of Valentine’s gift, especially to me, this year.

My granddaughter Joanna was born with serious issues in her heart and lungs, spent the first several months on a heart/lung bypass machine (ECMO), and lived the first five years of her life with doses of  medication every few hours, and listening to the beep of a heart monitor at night. Her energy levels were low, and too much action would leave her breathless and in tachocardia.   We spent every day praying prayers of gratitude as she grew, and lived with the constant reminder that each day was a gift. And praying for a miracle.

And then the miracle came.  Joanna underwent groundbreaking heart surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) a few months ago.  I am still breathless myself when I think of it.  It was a success. It was a challenge, with many touch and go days at first.  And then the healing progressed and her strength grew.  This week, she turned five.  She danced around the kitchen with delight, waiting to blow out the candles on her cake.  She is jumping, climbing, laughing and singing with joy.                                  
                                    
 
And to tell the truth, so am I.  This little person has taught me a lot about love and its power.  And about what is important and what is not.  Loving is everything.  No matter who. No matter how. Sometimes love is full of fear, and loss, and longing.  But sometimes,  it’s about hope, and joy, and appreciation for our life and the lives of those we love.  Like Joanna.
This Valentine’s Day, I am celebrating love in a big way, full of gratitude and joy. Who are you grateful for on this coming Valentine’s Day?

Christine Bush is an award winning, USA Today Bestselling author who has written many books and novellas of sweet romance and light mystery. She also writes Middle Grade Fiction. When she isn’t writing, she can be found working with clients as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or teaching Psychology at a local college.  She lives with her family and two crazy cats in northeastern Pennsylvania, and loves to hear from readers and aspiring writers.

  
Her latest novella “Christmas Laurel”, is a sweet holiday romance.  Laurel, a retired veteran who is healing from PTSD, takes her retired bomb dog “Duck”, and attempts to avoid both her memories and the Christmas season.  She travels to a cabin in the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, looking for quiet and calm.  But she didn’t expect to find the handsome mountain man in the next cabin who is healing from his own hurts.  I hope you enjoy this heartwarming story of love and healing. It’s available in ebook and print.





2 comments:

  1. Wow! Christine, what a touching post. I know how precious granddaughters are.

    ReplyDelete