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FALL 1999
Gloria Horvay
Clerk, Salem Quarterly MeetingDear Friends,
As I write, I’m sitting at my son Andy’s bed side in Cooper Hospital. Today he had successful surgery to realign his third cervical vertebra and fuse it with the fourth. It has been nine weeks since the automobile accident, and we are slowly healing from the trauma to his body and all our lives.
The most touching part of this experience has been the outpouring of love and concern from our Friends/friends. We have truly been lifted up and supported by the knowledge that so many are holding our family in the Light. I truly believe the prayers caused Andy’s quick discharge from the trauma unit the first time.
It was discouraging for all of us when he had to be readmitted and have repeat abdominal surgery, this time for extensive adhesions. He missed his graduation. At that point I read When Bad Things Happen to Good People. I needed the reassurance of the author, Harold Kushner, that accidents such as Andy’s are perfectly random. I shouldn’t try to read any meaning into what happened. Considering the other things going on in our lives at this time — the purchase of the house in Mullica Hill, the sale of our Williamstown house, my 50th birthday and Andy’s 18th birthday, our 25th wedding anniversary, our planned vacation to Alaska, and so on — it was easy to look for signs or relationships. But Kushner helped me accept that bad things just happen sometimes for no apparent reason.
It has been difficult to keep up the feelings of gratitude I’ve written about in previous issues, but here are a few things to be grateful for. Andy’s survival is the obvious one. He has had wonderful doctors. My school gave me time off from work to be with Andy, and now I have summer vacation. We got a buyer for our house after only five weeks on the market. Andy was able to go to Florida with his class and to the Prom before the accident.
It is still difficult for Andy not to feel sorry for himself and his condition. He probably won’t be able to go to college this fall. But we’ll get through it. Life goes on. Thanks again to all of you for your wonderful outpouring of love, concern, prayers and Light. And be sure to stop by and see us at 140 Colson Lane in Mullica Hill. We are now living directly across the road from Peggy and Jack Warner.
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Last modified:
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:19 AM
