"My mom was right.
I’ve lost count the number of times she used to tell me that “God blessed me with the gift of writing.”
And while I’ve certainly never have taken these skills for granted, I truly appreciate them even more when they’re not being used, for whatever reason.
And since Sept. 20, the keyboard on my iPhone has been largely silent.
That’s the date — hard to believe it’s been this long — that I underwent surgery for a nagging bedsore that had plagued our backside for more than a year.
Surgery was as big of a success as the Houston Astros being crowned as the champs of the baseball world.
Why I waited as long as I did to have the surgery I will never know, unless it was equal parts being apprehensive about going under the “knife” or being “put to sleep.”
All my fears were unfounded. The surgery went perfect.
And the anesthesia? No problem. One minute I was asking about when the surgery would start, the next I’m resting comfortably on a specially-made air mattress in room 226 at the Ruston Rehabilitation Specialty Hospital.
Until I got my release Friday, I had six memorable and enjoyable weeks at the facility located a Drew Brees’ touchdown pass away from the infamous Jack Lambert Suite (Room 58) at the Princeton Place.
Being in a hospital enjoyable? As contradictory as that might sound, it certainly applied in my case and it all had to do with the skilled people I interacted with each day. Nurses, aides, physicians, therapists. They were always willing to go the “extra mile” to help the patients.
I left the kind, gracious staff — too many names to mention and don’t want to leave anybody out — at the Ruston Rehabilitation Specialty Hospital feeling and stronger.
But also itching to return doing what is closest to my heart.
Sometimes, it’s being away from something one holds dear that makes you discover its specialness even more.
And so it was during the past six weeks.
Mom, as always, was right."