I just spent the past three weeks in Shanghai, visiting my parents. Below is a letter that my beloved Debbi Wright sent to me for my birthday, while I was there:
October 26, 2009
I can recall so clearly the first time I met you Milly. It was at an ASAP meeting near the Christmas holiday in the Conference Room behind the Nursing Sups Office on the 3rd floor of PRMC. It wasn’t by coincidence, but as a part of the Lord’s plan, that your friendship would fill the place in my heart that had been waiting for someone so special to come along and when I needed it the most!
October 26, 2009
My dearest Milly,
I’d planned to write this to have in your hands to read today. When I received your call that you were flying to China, I chose to postpone writing this letter until today as my way of celebrating your 62nd birthday with you in spirit!
I can recall so clearly the first time I met you Milly. It was at an ASAP meeting near the Christmas holiday in the Conference Room behind the Nursing Sups Office on the 3rd floor of PRMC. It wasn’t by coincidence, but as a part of the Lord’s plan, that your friendship would fill the place in my heart that had been waiting for someone so special to come along and when I needed it the most!
You simply accepted me as I was. You always touched me with your warm heart and gentle spirit. We laughed together, cried together…we even 1-2-3’d together! Your wise counsel was priceless to me; your compassionate being was always a comfort. When one of us hurt, so did the other. You were my encourager; you lifted me up and never let me down. What a blessing we shared in such a short time.
Though I’d talked in depth with you about me leaving the shore, the tables somehow got turned and you moved on to Texas in January 2008. For a while, I felt like a lost puppy dog. But our separation forced me to spread my wings, taking all the values you’d imposed upon me, and fly! No, our friendship did not end; it just changed. It took some time for you and Gene together to set up your new home, to learn a new area, and to find where God’s next assignment would take you. As I happily tell folks that still ask about you, “You’re in your element!” You landed a position at the hospital where your gifts can best be utilized, where you are respected and appreciated. You’re enjoying your home, dance, city-life, swimming and touching so many new people’s lives. You lovingly and proudly maintain a close bond with your 25 year old baby girl long distance! At 62, you continue to amaze me with your elegant, peaceful style! Happy birthday, Mianli!
Sixteen months after your journey to Texas and learning of my plan to move to Pennsylvania, you returned one last time to join me in closing our volume of life in Salisbury! From the moment I picked you up at the airport, we started right where we’d last left off, laughing, sharing, being with special acquaintances…a bond of sisterhood that no one can take away from us.
Well, I’ve been a happy resident of Pennsylvania for almost five months now. While the transition has been a bit more overwhelming than I’d anticipated, I have faced it positively. Considering that I’m setting the house up pretty much on my own, and that I have my physical challenges that work against me, things are coming together slowly, but nicely. I’ve met several of the neighbors; they seem to enjoy ringing my doorbell, coming in to chat for a bit and then carrying on with their days! I joined a gym and have a trainer working with me once a week; I work out on my own one or two other days each week. I’m still church-hopping, trying to find where I will fit best. I have approached a local pastor about starting a Celebrate Recovery ministry in the area, so I’m patiently waiting for direction on that goal. I’m going to wait until Spring 2010 to start up another MS Support Group. I bought a GPS to help find my way around; I enjoy driving over the hills, seeing the plowed fields and the colors of the trees changing; I even like the smell of the cow plops...ok, maybe that’s stretching it! I get to spend time with Lin, Jean and even some time with my brothers and a few of my nieces. I’m focusing on taking all that you so genuinely taught me about being good to myself and a blessing to others, and passing it forward in my new volume of life!
I pray that God will bless you with unimaginable mercies each day of your 62nd year and always Milly!
I’ll phone you the weekend of November 7/8!
I do so miss you Mianli!
Love ~Debbi
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