The relief of a successful surgery is a weight lifted for now. It has been a nice time with family. How very normal it all felt. I must admit there are those moments where it seems Tony will just walk in to the waiting area or I can ask him to fetch something from the car. I am fortunate to have learned that these are things I can remind myself are not happening. I can actually smile just a little. Because I can almost see him in the crowd of family…and in the faces of his brothers. A nice reminder of a friend who is gone to soon.

The connection to my in-laws is something that hasn’t changed and is a blessing. I have been in this family for 16 years and I love them dearly. Sitting and talking to my father-in-law after coming out of recovery, was just what I needed to remind me of the value of time.

What does a successful surgery mean, we are over this hump. But we now wait for his results. A couple of days or maybe a week until we figure out the next steps. There will be more hurdles, more trials, more waiting, and more gathering. But this day was a success in more ways than one.