Among the things you can give and still keep are your word,
a smile, and a grateful heart.
Hilary Hinton Ziglar (Zig Ziglar) was an American author,
salesman, and motivational speaker
❤️🩹 MY GRATEFUL SHAKEN HEART
Going through a medical crisis is something that shook me to the core of my personhood. I can now say — it was a good shaking. Although, I’ve not quite forgotten the phrasing of those words.
I was alone when I got the news, hours before my first visit to my surgeon. Recognizing the phone number, I had answered cheerfully, and then it all changed.
“They won’t be able to do the TAVR procedure as you hoped, because of the condition of your aortic valve. Instead, you will need to have open heart surgery. And Dr. C will explain it all to you at your visit today. I thought you should know this before the appointment.”
I can also remember the burning sensation of hot tears rising in my eyes (you know the kind?). Politely I said ‘goodbye’. And then I leaned against the bathroom sink and let those tears flow down my face and wash my initial fears away. Boy, that felt good.
Scary? Yes. So unknown compared to the less invasive TAVR procedure? Yes.
I was very shaky that day, and for several weeks.
Somewhere in that process I was reminded of the reality of harvesting. It can sometimes be quite violent and intense: fruit and vegetables are pulled and plucked to separate them from their plant source, some are then crushed for their juices, or dried in the sun, … wheat is threshed with sharp blades, … kernels and seeds are beat from their stalks or plants, … potatoes and peanuts are dug up to remove them from their soil (just naming a few harvesting processes here).
And then I remembered the humble Almond. Do you know how almonds are harvested? The tree is shaken at the trunk to let go of its harvest.
“Procedurally, a shaker unit clamps to the tree, applying a
vibrational force which transfers to the nut which disconnects
at the ‘abscission layer’ (a barrier of thin-walled plant cells) and falls to the ground.”
-from farmprogress.com-
Sounds amazing and if you’ve ever watched it – you won’t forget it. Here’s a 4-minute Almond Harvesting video by The Produce Nerd https://youtu.be/ql9NIPilcPI?si=OFKWZ973Lvenj5jf
[Nutrition Facts worth repeating: Almonds are one of the most nutrient-dense nuts out there. They are among the best non-dairy sources of calcium and are high in protein, Vitamin E, fiber, minerals, and heart healthy fats (lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol).]
“Melea, what helped you during this shaking time?”
Reading the recovery stories of those who had gone through the same procedure. God’s Word. Prayer. Letting trusted people into the interior of my story. Practicing Gratefulness. And remembering my legacy.
In my book, “The Green Velvet Christmas Dress” there is a place on page 119, where I invite my readers to write down their current living legacy in a sentence. In my copy, on that page are my words, signed and dated:
I am called to live my story out loud and on-purpose.
And to tell others their story has always mattered to God.
I review my legacy with God each year, waiting to hear His edits. Since 2019 it has not changed, and I gratefully receive it back … and once again, as I share it with you.
It’s been more than a year since my open-heart surgery. I am still in the process of healing – getting stronger with weekly Physical Therapy. I’m still a storyteller and a writer. There’s been a desire to be more creative and take on risks as an artist. I do think it’s because I have had this shaking story which I now process life through every day. HARVEST.
Most important – I am so grateful to be alive!
Yes, I still love almonds. In fact, I think I’ll go get a handful right now (14 low salt almonds = 85 calories).
❤️🩹
I pass on some scriptures that anchored my soul: Psalm 23. Psalm 91. Psalm 139. Psalm 148. The Gospels. John 14. Book of the Acts. Ephesians 1:3-10, chapter 4, 6:10-20.
