On June 19th 2010 one of my close friends Mary Goodwin found out that she had an AVM in her brain, a day that will change her life forever. An AVM is an arteriovenous malformation. She has weathered this storm remarkably well. I am amazed with her everyday. She is having a cranotomy on January 21 2011. It is the most difficult surgery a neurosurgeon will ever do.
In the last 7 months Mary has taught me to be a more loving friend and to always let everyone know I love them. I have learned more from Mary in the past 7 months than I have in my entire life. There are so many blessing I can't even describe from having Mary in my life. I have very rarely heard Mary complain about her AVM. She told me she thinks of it as a blessing. What an amazing person. She looks at the positive, cares more about others than herself, and is such a strong person. I want to be like her every day. If I could ever take away any pain that she has ever felt throughout all this I would in a heartbeat.
One of my best friends Kelsey that is on a mission in Temple Square asked me to share something that happened over Christmas, like a Christmas miracle. I think her goal was to have me help her find someone to teach. The miracles I was looking for around Christmas didn't happen to be finding someone to teach. It was realizing I have Angels around me like Mary to lift me up and help me be a better person. It was realizing I have an AMAZING family and friends like Mary that help me in ways they don't even know. I was SO BLESSED to see Mary on Christmas day. She told me on Christmas to never let a day go by where I didn't tell someone I love them! That is the BEST advice. I wrote Kelsey about Miracle Mary this week, I can't even get over the fact at how blessed I am.
Through these past 7 months I have watched Mary grow, learn, develop, and be a LIGHT to those around her. I am grateful for this. I am beyond grateful to my Heavenly Father for having these learning experiences in my life, and am so grateful to know Mary, let alone be a friend to her. I know she will do incredible on January 21st in her surgery. Mary has been through so much and jumps through these health challenges SO well. She is so humble about everything and hates having the attention on her. I am FOREVER grateful for Mary!
