A Miracle For Jodi Brown: . . . . . . Thoughts on Freedom

Sunday, April 18, 2010

. . . . . . Thoughts on Freedom

I cry when I hear the Star Spangled Banner. Every time. My heart swells with emotion at any song that reminds me of how blessed I am to live in THIS free country. Despite the political fights, the mistakes and "well-intendend" laws that go wrong, I love THIS country, the United States of America. Usually this type of post would be reserved for the 4th of July, but I am feeling immense gratitude today for the blessings and beauties of my life.

I just finished reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini, author of "The Kite Runner". This book is not one you read, then casually set down and go on with life. It lingers. The words linger in your mind. The thoughts and feelings linger in your heart. Today, I am grateful for my country and for the freedoms that I enjoy, as a woman, in this country. Here, I am a partner with my husband, and we are partners with God, through the religion of our choosing.

What a blessing it is that our hard days are really so easy. Even my most difficult times, in the grand scheme of "things", are simple to overcome, when compared with the natural disasters of the world and man-made disasters that ruin countries and tear lives apart. I needed doctors, medicine and even miracles, but much of the world needs much more.

Here, I am truly free to choose...and for that I am grateful and blessed.

1 comment:

Unknown said...: Aloha Jodi... I love your Thoughts on Freedom. I have read the books and they are amongst my favorite reads. I agree the books are not casual read but stir the emotions, thought provoking and the words linger on in our hearts and mind. I read both books two years ago and still lingers with me today. I've encourage people to read both books. I plan to read both books again soon. I remember visiting Europe and the Middle East in the spring-summer of 1984...I remember how terrified I felt walking the streets in towns I visited in the Middle East. I've had some near disasteraous experiences and felt unsafe in those countries. I do remember once our airplane touched down at the St. Louis Airport cheers of applause broke out amongst our BYU Tour group. How grateful we were to be back home on American soil after being gone for two months. I am proud and grateful to be an American! hugs...Carolyn; April 20, 2010 at 3:43 PM

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Jodi's Story

Jodi Orgill Brown and Tolan Brown married in 1996 and together have 4 beautiful children, Trenden, Lindi, Casen and Daven, who make every day worth living.

Jodi was diagnosed with a brain tumor in April of 2009 after months of suffering from debilitating symptoms. Though 9 doctors declared her tumor was inoperable because of it's location on the brainstem, hope was not lost. One team of specialists at the University of Utah Hospital agreed to operate and remove the tumor. The first surgery was successful in removing as much of the tumor as was possible. However, complications from the surgery caused a debilitating and life-threatening spinal fluid leak, which resulted in 2 more brain surgeries and a 5-week hospitalization and fight for life.

Jodi is now "in recovery" from a dificult round 1, and has many complications and side effects, including partial facial paralysis, loss of hearing in her right ear, complications with her eye, depth perception, sight and headaches, but still has lots of love, help, hope, miracles and angels around her everyday!