Second Chances

I've been a bit pre-occupied the last couple of weeks. At the end of January, my dad suffered a massive heart attack. It was so surreal. It started like any other Sunday morning, where my dad, mum and I were lounging round the house in our pjs, chatting and drinking tea. Fast forward 5 hours later and mum and I were anxiously sitting in a hospital waiting room as my dad was undergoing an emergency operation. They removed a blood clot from his heart and fitted a stent. The clot was in one of his major coronary arteries and he could have died of heart failure if he hadn't been treated in time.

The next few days were critical as we waited for more test results to confirm the extent of the damage. It was hard to see my once strong and able dad lying in a hospital bed, scared and vulnerable. The tests came back showing he'd lost almost third of his heart's functionality. It wasn't great news, but the doctors were still happy as they had suspected it would be much worse. Over time, with medication and rehabilitation, they said it could improve. We were relieved.

On the way home from the hospital one day, a song I like came on the radio. Without thinking, I turned the volume up and started singing along, bobbing my head to the beat. I looked out past the motorway at the countryside bathed in winter sunlight. And then it hit me. How lucky was I that I could still enjoy music? How lucky was I that I still had the heart to sing? How lucky was I that I could still enjoy the sunshine? If the worst had happened on Sunday, my entire world would have turned cold, grey and silent in an instant. But it didn't. My dad was still with me. My world was still a beautiful, vibrant, technicolour place. Not only was my dad given another chance to appreciate life, it was as if I had been too.

It's been a stressful time for my family, I can't deny that. A heart attack is a life changing event. It will take a few months of rehabilitation and life long medication to get dad back to somewhat normal health again. But at the same time, it has gifted us a new perspective; a much deeper appreciation of life, of time and of each other's presence. We are thankful for the free healthcare we have in the UK and the people that work tirelessly to keep the NHS standing. Dad's finally going to make his health a priority now. We've realised that spending quality time together and making a positive contribution to the world are definitely our biggest priorities. It's so easy to dismiss mundane daily routines whilst you focus on chasing the next big thing that you think will make your life amazing. But the ability to appreciate daily life just as it is...that's what will truly make life amazing. Unfortunately, it's what we usually take for granted until we lose it. Thankfully, my family and I have a second chance.

The following Sunday morning, my dad, mum, brother and I lounged around in our house in our pjs, chatting and drinking tea. We had never felt so blessed to be able to do that.