Blessings and Miracles Everywhere

Wow, it is true that some encounters are planned long before there has been a personal meeting. A four minute happenstance profoundly affected me in the moment and ten days later, I am still feeling its impact. I believe today that this person was meant to touch my life as he did because through him, I will be changed forever.

I was coming to the end of my glorious four day stay in Atlantic City. I desperately needed that time away from my real life because I have been attending to the many health emergencies my husband has been facing for the last ten years and had recently come through another near death moment with him.

His health decline started with his legs swelling so big that they looked like overinflated balloons. He is diabetic and while under the care of his Endocrinologist, every symptom he exhibited was blamed on the diabetes. Turns out he was misdiagnosed when we found out unexpectedly after donating blood that he had Hep C. Hep C led to other ailments, some very rare, and it took all of two years to get properly diagnosed. In the meantime, he was headed for kidney failure which was the cause of the stumps that used to be his skinny legs. A Nephrologist came on the scene and 8 years later I am very grateful for this man who saved my husband’s life on a number of occasions. Dr. Abrar Hussain did all could to keep him from full blown kidney failure which would then mean dialysis~The only step between my husband and death. His Dr. managed for 2 years, though not without multiple upheavals and many critical moments, but his own kidneys were still functioning, albeit about 35%. In time, when they declined to about 15%, and my husband was filled with about 30 pounds of water, they had to administer emergency dialysis in the middle of the night to keep him alive. He was in the hospital at the time, one of his many, many stays. That night was the second time he was closest to death. They told me 50/50 chance, wait and see how it goes…

His first brush with death was when he was properly diagnosed with a rare offshoot of Hep C called Cryoglobulinemia, little ice crystals that form in your blood and damage your organs while causing blockages of vessels~fun stuff!. He was in the hospital that time also and the Doctor who found the disease informed me that we should focus on the quality of life, not on the quantity. He had officially gotten a death sentence. From that point on I was acutely aware of our mortality and though my husband is still here, he has survived more life-threatening moments than I care to recall. He is my very own Energizer Bunny "He takes a lickin’ but keeps on tickin’". After Dialysis for two years, he was the fortunate recipient of a miraculous gift when a new kidney appeared for which he just celebrated six additional years of life.

The latest brush with his imminent demise came last year when he had two heart attacks, within a couple of weeks of each other. The first he was in multiple organ failure (heart, lung and kidney) and the second actually took him to the other side for which I am very grateful. He always had a fear of death and since glimpsing what awaits, his fear has subsided. Now, he doesn’t want to leave me (doesn’t think I will survive without him) and he desperately wants to complete the circle of his life by witnessing a grandchild, something neither of his parents got to do.

I witness miracles over and over and over again in this man’s life and this man happens to be my husband. And because of that, I have the ability to tell the story of the Miracle that is Bob!

Just as Bob and I were destined to meet, rocky marriage (before all the sickness) and all, the man I started to tell you about was destiny as well.

I began by saying that I was getting ready to end a much needed 4 day stay in AC. Bags packed and ready to check out, I called the Bell Captain to have them pick up our luggage because we were not leaving straight away. In fact, my girlfriend and I were planning to get the day in as well which meant we wouldn’t be on the road until at least 7PM that evening.

I waited the ten minutes for the Bellman to come and was grateful that they were so prompt. As I opened the door for him, crazy thoughts ran through my mind like should I leave the door open, should I let him in, once the door closes who knows…But instinctively, I let him in and the door shut behind him. When he first spoke asking about the bags, I immediately assessed there was something wrong, thinking maybe mentally challenged or slow or something along those lines. It was apparent but I didn’t judge. The thought came and went. And from nowhere he tells me "You know, I shouldn’t even be here. I had a really severe accident with major contusion to my brain that indented my head. Look" and he proceeds to show me the depression on the top of his skull. Acknowledging it was readily visible he goes on, "they took me to the emergency room, they called my wife, and had me for dead. They did emergency surgery and had to remove the top part of my skull completely because my brain was so badly swollen and they couldn’t reattach it for three weeks." I was listening to this man intently and started to share my husband’s story and how the last heart attack he visited the other side and that it must be that God is not ready for either of them. He tells me how difficult it has been, having to teach himself to walk and talk and eat and dress himself and that he voluntarily gave up his driver’s license meaning his wife had to take him to work and pick him up each day. I knew the stress of that and at that moment, I reached out for his hand and before I knew it, we were hugging that heartfelt hug, not once but twice. Bags loaded he was ready to go. I added a few dollars to his tip, handed it to him and right after thanking me he said, "I have to tell you, it is so nice to meet good people like you." I thanked him and replied "Likewise" and he was gone.

The whole encounter was about 4 minutes. (You know these guys are timed) As soon as the door closed, I broke down like I have not allowed myself to do in the longest time. Need to stay strong and keep on top of the devastating emotions that can take over any moment. But I gave in because I could not hold it back…I gained control of the tears, wiped my eyes and walked over to the window for a moment or two of stillness because what I had just experienced touched me to the core of my very being. I knew it to be the powerful moment it was and the reason we are all here~that undeniable connection that we each have to the other. While I was at the window, I was simply watching all the people enjoying an absolutely gorgeous day in New Jersey. Some were coming from the beach, some were fully dressed. There were families with little children and couples and singles and people of every race and creed and one by one, I started blessing each of them. I darted from face to face and on each face, I said, "Bless You". I must have blessed about 100 people standing at that window and being in the moment with them, I miraculously felt the connection to each and every one, even the black guy with the fro and the Chinese baby in the carriage. I am a white female.

Composed and back to reality, I left the key to the room on the dresser, shut the door behind and headed to the casino to meet my girlfriend. I had just been through something profound and wanted the feeling to continue so as I entered the casino, I began blessing as many people as I passed that I could. There were lots of people, you can imagine.

I found my friend playing blackjack, checked in with her and went to find a table to play at. I did and immediately blessed everyone at the table, including the dealer. I’m the type of person who likes to bring good energy. I’m there to have fun, gamble a little, maybe win little (yeah right) and just simply enjoy the experience (love to play cards). After riling up the table and getting everybody smiling and engaging, all of a sudden all these wonderful hands were being dealt and everybody at the table started winning. Except for me! So, after a few more hands while the winning continued for everyone but me, I found my way to another table. I did my routine of blessing everybody and riling them up and lo behold, the next hand dealt were big winners for everybody at the table, but me. And then a third table and it happened again. The table started winning but I couldn’t draw a pair. It suddenly dawned on me, I was blessing everybody else, I simply forgot to bless myself.

So I realized two things that day for sure, blessings count and miracles happen everywhere. So what I would say to you is silently bless the strangers you pass on the street. You never know what miracle is gonna show up for them. And, maybe I will be one of those strangers for right now, I need the miracle of money.