Hi all,

Thanks for taking a moment to read my blog… I truly am grateful!

I have been thinking a lot lately, well actually sometimes that’s my worst enemy… thinking.

As lots of you know, my family has been through great change in the last almost 4 years.

We lost our oldest daughter, Anne, to sudden cardiac arrest.

In trying to understand and prevent, if possible, this happening to another member of our family, we went through genetic testing to determine if there’s something we need to know.

As it turned out, there was.

Anne had two genetic mutations in certain genes that affect your heart, and while good to know, also upsetting.

Knowing helps us be more able to keep watch of our family and have opportunities to perhaps also help others.

Of the two variants noted , one is prevalent in a large majority of people. The second one, however is not.

Because I am the carrier, I am working with Duke’s hospital system to help them find out what/how this may affect people.

The interesting part is, that it is of indeterminate causal affect.

At this point, it is considered neutral and was not ruled as causal to Anne’s untimely death.

I have a friend who is now facing a battle with a medical condition of her own… and genetic testing is suggested for the family.

So what I am pondering as I write today is, how do we deal with and live our best lives with the randomness of life?

One day you’re healthy, and then you’re not.

My brain is struggling to comprehend this.

Do we give ourselves grace to rethink, and rewire this truth?

To allow knowing that changing our thoughts and attempting to rewire our thinking may help us?

Or do we need to accept the idea that none of us really controls anything?

And in that knowing, realize that we can allow ourselves the freedom to live with a chance for renewal?

An understanding that maybe the best we can do is recognize the tenuousness of this life and still find Joy?

Thanks for reading. I’ll let you know what I find.

Pam