Recently I received the phone call that every person who lives overseas dreads.
It starts with a friendly "Hello."
And the next sentence is one of those that needs to be repeated, not because you didn't hear it, but because you didn't believe it. "________________ is in an ambulance and heading to the hospital."
It matters not who is in that blank, but for me, it was my older (by 20 months) sister. And your world becomes darker and a little more medical--you're learning words that would definitely help you win at Scrabble. Everyone get's their online degree from Web MD and you struggle with the term "visiting hours."
Luckily, my story has a happy ending. One in which my sister lives and while we are still searching for answers as to why this happened, the new chapters of insurance coverage and fine print have begun.
To be brief, my sister suffered from low potassium (she has for years) and it caused a condition called hypokalemia (25 points on it's own in Scrabble...imagine if you hit the triple word!). This condition caused her heart to stop. Couple this with the walking pneumonia she didn't know she had, and you have a perfect storm.
Why am I telling you this? I don't really know. Perhaps it is because life is short and I realize that I spend too much of mine not doing what I really want. Seeing my sister in a hospital bed really shook me. My dream has always been to connect to people through my words, to help them feel like they are not alone. This is how books saved my life, and how I want to return the favor.
So with renewed commitment, I am happy to tell you all that I am nearly finished with the second book of the Agria series and have already started on the third. You're going to find more answers in these later books and I cannot wait for you to read them.
With all the Love & light that I possess,
CM