January 30, 2008, Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Susan Kilborn once gave me some good advice.  I was preparing to go through a series of difficult and irritating medical procedures.  She brought me a juicer,along with what looked like twenty pounds of vegetables, and she proceeded to demonstrate the machine.  She juiced every last vegetable.  Then we sat like ladies in the living room and drank a glass of juice.  As she left, she look both of my hands, and gave me this admonition.  "Now Ruth" says Susan.  "While you are marching down this road, be sure to look for the gold on the side of the road.  Because you will find this gold that you would never have found with this ordeal."  

Now this is a whole new attitude to adversity.  I was prepared to get through these procedures as a good soldier would.  But it never crossed my mind to took for the pleasures specific to these tasks.  Over the coming days and weeks, I looked for these bits of gold, and bless my soul but she was right. Many blessings came my way.  My work friends  sent me notes and cards.  My children called me many times a day and visited me at home and hospital.  My relatives paid a lot of attention to me.  I read lots and lots of books.  I stayed in place in the apartment many days in a row. Since we moved in to this lovely apartment I had never stayed a whole day there and I enjoyed the views in the daylight.  And my good friends cooked for me and called me and visited me. And every night before dinner Ken and I drank a glass of juice.  Of course Ken put vodka in his glass of juice.

Susan was very wise to give me this admonition.  And I am grateful.