You'll be happy to know that my husband did overcome his injury. He drew from an inner strength that made the doctors look like fools. Not only did he get back on his feet, but he also got back on track! The racetrack. He finally found a team that was willing to let him prove himself. He was jumping over walls and changing tires so fast, it was hard to believe that he was ever immobile. The best part was . . . he was getting paid!
It was wonderful to see him so happy. At last, he was doing what he had always dreamed of. Well, sort of. In his dreams, he was the one behind the wheel! That didn't matter. It was still racing.
I never realized that the racing industry had such a hectic schedule. Trying to keep track of his schedule was practically a full-time job, not only when his plane was arriving or departing, but what city he was going to be in next. This was complicated because of the time zone difference. I had to make sure I had the television on the right channel at the right time.
There were practice sessions and qualifying runs that weren't always broadcast live, so I had to make sure I knew the network’s schedule for the weekend. Not to mention making sure I called all of our family members, to make sure they knew what network the race was on. Of course, they all lived in different time zones, so we needed to calculate what time they would be able to see the race.
I hardly noticed that I wasn't singing anymore. I was so busy trying to keep up with all that information. We had moved again, somewhere along the way, and the drive into Nashville was pretty long. Weekdays dragged a little. We lived in a very small town, and there wasn't much to do. I took up a new hobby.
My sister was a very talented and successful photographer. She had moved her family and her business to Nashville. Videotaping special events was one of the side jobs I had when I was trying to make it as a musician. I had done a little video work for her when she lived in Florida.
She thought I might have a knack for photography. I had an eye for framing up a good shot on video. We felt it would be evident through any type of camera lens. She offered to show me a few tricks with a thirty-five-milometer camera, so I bought one.
If you had a wonderful husband, raised two beautiful children, and found a very satisfying hobby, wouldn't you think you had it all? What more could you possibly ask for? Could anything on earth make you any happier? How about something from heaven?
I will never forget how I felt the day I got the call! I knew what my daughter was going to tell me before she even opened her mouth.
"Mom," she asked, are those pregnancy tests usually accurate?" (I am crying right now as I sit here reliving the immense amount of joy that I received at that moment.) I was going to be a grandmother! I didn't need to wait for the doctor to confirm. I was already sure! I could feel the presence of that unborn child right through the telephone!
I was already making plans to be there to take pictures of the birth! I had to arrange my schedule, so that I could go and stay with my daughter after the baby was born. Of course she was going to need my help. I prepared my husband for my upcoming absence, and my son-in-law for my impending visit! I was all set! All I had to do now was wait! She wasn't due until the first week in January.
My sisters and I thought it would be nice to spend the holidays together in Florida. We wanted to ring in the New Year together. Afterwards, instead of going back to Tennessee, I would just go to my daughter's in Georgia and stay until the baby was born. We didn't make it to the New Year.
We now know, that the sensible thing would have been to plan to spend the holidays in Georgia. That’s where we all ended up anyway, including my mother, who flew in from Michigan. The important thing was, we were all together.
We filled the hospital waiting room to overflowing. We were all prepared; video cameras in hand and rolling. The time had come and I was ready for the most miraculous moment I had ever known. The birth of my granddaughter. My Angel, sent from Heaven. I knew, without a doubt, that God had sent her to us. She was surrounded by the most beautiful light I had ever seen. I couldn't stop staring at her. The closer I looked, the more clearly I could see . . . God hadn't sent her here empty-handed . . . she was holding something. She was holding . . .
. . . the keys to my heart.