April 19th

Blogging Friends.... Today is C.D.H. Awareness Day. Yes, I know that I mentioned this a little over twain weeks ago. However. April 19th is International Day of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness, thus according to CHERUBS. See. Apparently, there are twain different wonderful organizations that raise awareness for congenital diaphragmatic hernia. CHERUBS. And Breath of Hope. According to CHERUBS, April is also C.D.H. Awareness Month!! Cool!! While CHERUBS is seemingly much more broadly known than Breath of Hope, I find it neat {Especially when the fatality/survival rates are still fifty/fifty.} that there's not one, but twain separate C.D.H. awareness days. Because. When people know diddlysquat about this life threatening birth defect? Twain dates equals double the awareness!! And that is a positive. Love you later.

Back in February, a dear C.D.H. Mama named Terri--founder of the Raising Healthy Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Children's Facebook page--organized "Living with Scars" project which encouraged Followers {Young and "old"!!} to submit pictures of their C.D.H. scar{s} along with something written expressing how these "blemish{es}" make them feel on a deeply profound level. This was, I thought, quite the fun and eye-opening project!! Being a modest person, I chose not to participate. However. Being the "outsider looking in", I did send Terri via comment this. It was taken from my Life Story!! I did not made any changes to it. I don't think, anyway!!

Across my chubby abdomen is this lengthy surgically-created scar. Again, an indelible, visual reminder of a medical history which I--or nobody--had any control over. I have often found myself referring to this physical blemish as my battle scar. Which is not at all an inaccurate description!! Not at all. For this scar is an "imperfection" serving as evidence that I am a survivor. Somehow. Yet, I can touch this abdomen scar--run my fingers all the way down it--as an incredible reminder that "I've come a long way, baby". Because I have. See, I do not need any reminders to glance upward and thank God for my existence. An abdomen scar suffices just fine!!

Either I am "hard to kill" as that phrase goes, or our Loving and Sovereign God was watching over me. How about both?

Happy International Day of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness.

Tomorrow is Easter!! Or as we prefer to call it around here. Resurrection Sunday!! Have a happy, happy, happy one, my dear Blogging Friends!!