a picnic view from the lake

[Guest guest]

My dear ones,

After the last of the clothing exchange leftovers were packed in my

car (and the battered woman's shelter will be thankful for the

donation), and we packed up Glo's car to the hilt, she was finally

able to go home and rest (after dropping off the beverage canisters

back with Red, Hot and Blue). Even though we all worked hard on

pulling this reunion picnic off (with extra cheers to Margaret, ,

Ann and her husband Jim), I know Eileen and I agree that the BIG kudos

for the success with all of this really belongs to Glo!

I always thank God for the day both Eileen and Gloria came up to me

after a support group meeting and asked me if they could help. Talk

about the angels coming down from heaven! It has been just super

working with these talented, creative and caring women!

Like I said, after all that was done and she had pulled off, I sat on

a stump on the lake's shore, watching the sunset and reflected back on

what a glorious day it had been. Last year at this time, she was 4

days post-op and running around the first picnic with her bottle of

Gatorade and her carafate. Eileen had commandeered her husband to

help he man 2 grills on one side of the shelter and bless Lamb

and Amber Fuller's cutie-pie of a husband (and now proud father-to-be)

for helping me on the grill on the other end (it took me weeks before

I could look at a chicken leg without getting sick). Somewhere in the

middle of that picnic, Eileen and I shuffled towards each other in the

middle of the shelter and said at the same time, " Next year, it's

catered! " In March, after I reserved the shelter and drove out to

look at the lakefront site, I knew it was going to be a fantastic

event! (However, none of us knew that the State of NC had extended

the season for collecting the per car entrance fee - my humblest

apologies on that.)

Well, we did have it catered; we had double the turnout than last

year, the lakeside site was beautiful, and mere words fail when

describing the amount of love that was flowing around that picnic

shelter. There was much laughter, congratulations on new babies,

plastic surgeries, diseases tamed, talk about who should be a model,

new businesses started, getting the kids to dump the dead snake they

found (ah, well)…we are such a dynamic group. What joy to put faces

to names, to hug everyone and to learn even more about all of you

beautiful people!

Even though Doc's our surgeon, pardon my ego if I tell you that I felt

like such a proud mother: all my babies are so beautiful, handsome and

healthier! Many of you have discovered or are rediscovering an

incredible life, one with new joys and possibilities every minute.

Many of you have had great pain and have or in the process of starting

new lives, and I know you are bolstered by the faith that you carry

and the strength in yourself (especially after having the MGB).

And as for Doc, well, what can we say? The sincerity in his

appreciation and his humility is impressive. I have seen him go

though some really difficult times and always he has conducted himself

with simple, nonego-based, grace that I have seen few people

(especially those in any " helping " field) do. I don't know if we can

grasp how important and revitalizing it was for him to be with us on

Saturday. This practice is his ministry and it is work that he loves

for it feeds his soul (and what better work to one to have, eh?).

There is sadness, though, after all this joy - I suppose it is the

balance of life. Our hearts go out to our dear Rosemary, who lost her

beloved Vinnie on the way home from being with us. And also prayers

for e (sp) in Raleigh, who had to leave her husband with only

the clothes on her back. She is safe now but, like Rosemary, has a

long road ahead of her. But I know we will be here for both of them,

all they need do is ask. We are a community like no other and when

someone drones on about the impersonal nature of the Internet, you can

either give that person a Raspberry, laugh in there face, or print out

one of our digests for them.

It's been a rough year for me, but Saturday made a lot of the hurt go

away - for me, it was and is a glorious victory. Now, off the soapbox

- we have to finish planning the Christmas Party. Now for those of

you with separate State chapters of the support groups, you know you

can organize something for yourselves, it would be cool to see a

second or third regional picnic get started for next year so that as

few of us MGBers will be left out as possible.

All my love,

-Ginny Ivanoff