What Inspires You?

As I thought about my blog this week I wanted to talk about inspiration.  What does inspire mean?  It means to stimulate action, to motivate, to affect or touch, to draw forth, to be cause or source of.  I have been inspired by many people during this journey with Ken, my family and friends. I am inspired by ordinary people who do extraordinary things like teachers (a group near and dear to my heart), our military men, women and their families, first responders police, firefighters and EMS, nurses and doctors, those who care for the very young and the very old. I am inspired by lyrics of a beautiful song and a passage from a well written book   I am inspired and reminded of God’s love by rainbows, waterfalls, sunsets, butterflies and a child’s smile.  Each person is inspired by someone or something many times during a lifetime.

Today I want to talk about a dear friend who inspired Ken and me.  Her name is Charlotte and she has been my friend since Kindergarten at Holy Name of Jesus School many years ago.  She was the first person, not related by blood, who offered to give Ken a kidney last April as his kidneys failed.  I wanted to know what inspired her to do this.  What were her thoughts, her fears, her worries?  What did her husband and children think about this?  We talked last night and she told me about her decision.

Charlotte said that when I first told her about Ken’s kidneys going into End Stage Renal Failure she was surprised.  I explained that all of our children and his siblings were not matches for his B blood type.  She said the idea immediately popped into her head that she would donate.  She knew her blood type was O.  She talked to her husband and her sons.  They were all behind her decision 100%.  She contacted Ochsner Hospital and began the process.  She admitted to me she did not know everything that was involved but the transplant coordinator gave her lots of information and answered all her questions.  I asked her did she have fears or worries during the process.  She told me there was a feeling of peacefulness she had during that time.  She knew she was the “one”.  She wanted to do this and she was committed.  She said the staff at the hospital treated her with such kindness and respect.  She passed each test with “flying colors” and was more and more confident that she would be the “one.”  She told me as funny as this may sound the testing process was one of the most interesting experiences she has ever had.  She was amazed at what the tests revealed about her overall good health.  The surgeons talked to Charlotte about the transplant surgery and setting a summer date to accommodate her teaching job.  She was anxiously awaiting the phone call after the last test results were in.  She was picking blueberries in Mississippi with her family when the call came.  The transplant coordinator told her she had disappointing news – her kidneys were too small.  She said she was so sad.  She was ready to give this gift but it was not meant to be.  She told me through this whole process she knew she wanted to help a friend.  That is what drove her to do this and she knew if the roles were reversed Ken or I would do it for her.  As we ended our conversation she told me she added “donor” on her driver’s license. Ken and I are blessed to have so many angels like Charlotte in our lives.

So this week think about who or what inspires you.  You will be amazed at the inspirations all around you. 

Keep your comments and questions coming in.  Ken and I love hearing from all of you!

Until next week may the Lord carry us on our journey for a kidney for Ken,

Pat