It's a day of celebration here at the CowChows. We are celebrating life!

The Lady BG underwent surgery a few days ago. She's home now and recuperating. Now that she is on the forward side looking back on this ordeal I don't think she would mind me telling you that she did not expect to survive the surgery. And, her expectations were not unrealistic. The surgeon told us flat-out that given her condition the risks of the surgery were considerable.

There wasn't much time, less than two weeks, between our first meeting with the surgeon and the day of the event. During that time I watched in quiet fascination as she first accepted and then began to prepare for the possibility that these may indeed be her last days. I was repeatedly amazed at her calm and grace as she set about putting things in order, and at the way things seemed to fall into place as if her steps were guided by a divine hand. As the day drew nearer, and I witnessed the transpiration of these small miracles I began to understand and even to accept that our time together might indeed be coming to a close. With this acceptance, though, came the realization of just how unprepared I was to say goodbye or even to consider life without her. Several times I tried to find the words to tell her how much she meant to me and how much I needed her in my life but in the end, as they took her away from me and into surgery, all I could say was, "Come back to me."

She did come back to me, and today and every day we celebrate life. For every goodbye could be the last. Every last word could be just that. We have no guarantee of tomorrow, no promise even of a next breath. Every moment we're given to live and share life with others is a precious gift.

So please, celebrate with us. Even through difficult and confusing times, even through life's many struggles and challenges, life in this moment is a gift worth celebrating. Especially during this season of celebration when tempers run short and stress runs high, when traffic snarls and Murphy's Law rules. Stop. Take a deep breath, and celebrate the miracle of being.

Merry Christmas to all and to all, a good night.

Fraternally yours,

Tim Couch

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