Liver In The Moment

When a day in your life goes from normal to crisis, you gain perspective in the moment.

For me, that day was Valentine's Day 2009 when a phone call changed the course of the evening from a family celebration to the night my dad was given the gift of a new liver. My parents made the four hour drive overnight to Duke Hospital where my dad had a liver transplant. Now, nearly three months after surgery, he is making great progress in his recovery.

Amazing.

But with perspective comes the challenge of keeping it. In a crisis it seems easy to stay in the moment - each second counts and requires your full attention. Time slows down. The trick is to stay in the moment when your life returns to its new normal, when routine makes it easy to daydream about the past or anticipate the future instead of enjoy the time as it passes. I know, it's so much easier said than done.

I guess the best we can do is to try to make the most of the normal days before we encounter a crisis and remember the wisdom gained when a crisis comes along.

Here are a few of my thoughts from a post-crisis perspective:

Be an organ donor.

Love the ones you love.

Live in the moment.