Merry Christmas!
Celebrate life, abundant in love and teeming with laughter.
Christmas, and the New Year celebration which follows, is my favorite time of year. A time to focus on family and friends, charity and giving, renewal and reflection.
This year the holiday had greater poignancy for me than ever before. It was a challenging year for many, and we were no exception. The loss of Amy’s grandfather “Buck” and my aunt Fern brought great sadness. My diagnosis with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) was, at times, physically burdensome and emotionally overwhelming. However, despite (and in some instances because of) these challenges, we also experienced great joy.
- The continual delight of watching our girls learn, grow and blossom.
- The outpouring of love and support from you, our family and friends, as I fight CML.
- The blessing of time with our family, together for a week in Leavenworth, Washington.
- The satisfaction of watching Amy complete her first marathon and successfully fundraise for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
- The pleasure of exploring the beauty of Ireland together with Amy and her aunt Suzanne.
- The inspiration of watching our friends and family struggle and overcome their own personal difficulties, finding new hope and peace.
These are the simple gifts for which I am thankful this year. And I’m most thankful for the gift of life given to me by the doctors, patients, researchers and donors who made my current treatment for CML possible. Given my great fortune, it’s impossible not to laugh heartedly and love generously, embracing every day of life with which I’ve been blessed.
So this holiday season, I hope you find time to reflect on and appreciate the everyday blessings in your own life.
We wish you and your family the simple gifts of life, love and laughter.
December 29th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
What a precious letter – such an amazing attitude in the face of so many challenges this year – faced with courage and grace! We are so blessed to be part of this family and enjoyed so much being part of your Christmas! We love you and look forward to “Breezey” encounters in the months to come! Maybe a re-match of “Ticket to Ride” to see who the REAL winner is!
Love, Mom Buck
December 30th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Tom you always surprise and bless me. This again is no exception. I will look forward to future postings. Love you more each day. Mom
January 1st, 2010 at 6:34 pm
What a great perspective to have during such a challenging time! Another reminder of how lucky we all are to be surrounded by your strength and positive attitude. We had so much fun together at Christmas– and look forward to 2010 for many, many more opportunities for laughter and celebration. (Italy, anyone?)
January 1st, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Tom – such wonderful thoughts. Happy New Year!!