Valeria Out Loud

Hey guys! How are you? I hope well.

I know you are thinking… An impromptu story in the middle of the week? What? 😉 Well, I was sitting here with this sweet story to share, and since I have the time, I decided to type it out.

Typing this out made me realize how I never really thought about the stress I was under during my husband’s emergency surgery, and recovery that is still happening. I was trying my best to be the solid rock I always am…trudging along being the support my husband required every day in his presence and the loving do-it-all mom who my kids desperately deserved while being comforted at home. I really didn’t allow myself to cry, not while alone, not to my family, not anyone. But I guess it had to come out eventually.

I am not sure if many remember how I had posted on my blog about my husband’s surgery for the first time and how it was going to snowstorm overnight…and how I was praying for a miracle. On his third morning in hospital, his first in a regular room, I was feeling pretty anxious to see him when I woke up. My eyes opened to a snow inches high outside my bedroom window. Seeing the snow from my warm bed deflated my spirits.

I had woke up to a text that my husband wanted to nap through the morning. He told me to take my time coming in because he finally had a room where he could rest for longer stretches. He had a rough night. Plus, he didn’t want me to stress out over the snow. Too late.

So I put my phone down, rolled over and stared at the snow glistening on the bushes outside of the window, feeling helpless and sad. I was preoccupied because I was unsure when the snowplow would make it, I was crushed after realizing I didn’t have his info in my phone. I knew that I would have to shovel our ginormous driveway, back path and front steps on my own. Visiting hours started at ten, and with giving my husband time that gave me a couple of hours, but I just didn’t have the energy or motivation to do it. I got out of bed to put on my cozy robe, try to start my day but I was so lost in thoughts that I ended up laying on top of my bed wallowing in self pity.

This sadness and stuff were feelings I don’t usually feel. Very unlike my usual self.

Then in a brief Moonstruck moment, I just said to myself, ‘Snap out of it! Get up. Let’s get coffee in you and get shoveling.’. The thought of coffee lifted my spirits. So off to the kitchen I went to start coffee.

Then I quickly glanced out the front window on my way walking towards the kitchen, something I normally do whenever I walk past the window. I noticed that my stairs were shoveled. ‘What?!’. Then I saw the end of my driveway was clean with silver car parked. I didn’t recognize it immediately-so I wasn’t sure who it was or what was going on.

In my messy bed hair, big fluffy robe and glasses (and fuzzy slippers), I swung open the front door to see who was there. I stepped out onto the porch to be surprised to find our best friend with his two kids shoveling my driveway!! They must’ve been shoveling for at least twenty minutes!

Ugh, can you believe it? I am crying right now as I am retelling this story.

Our friend jumped up to the porch, his own shovel in hand. Smiling all goofy. He said, ‘I know there’s not much I can do to help you, Val, but I can do this.’. I lost it; just bawled my eyes out as I grabbed him. I loudly sob screamed in his ear. Wouldn’t let go for minutes. I was definitely incoherent. They had braved the snow just to help me. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Without a word more blubbering from my face, I ran inside to put contacts on, grabbed my winter boots and a heavy coat to help. Then my youngest daughter, who heard the commotion, was fresh from bed, followed out and grabbed a shovel. We set to work, shoveling the snow and cleared the rest of the driveway and path in no time. We worked together, myself in utter shock, as we went.

When we finished, they just wanted hugs. No cocoa. No tea. No coffee. No breakfast. My friend said he was still working but had time to bring his kids up to help me out. But had to shovel their house now. Ugh. How amazing.

I hugged each one of them, tears streaming down my face.

I’m sharing this story because I will never forget this moment. And, I feel it will serve as a reminder to myself and everyone reading that even in hard times good things can happen. Good people exist.

There’s power in true friendship and there is true beauty of human kindness.

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Love you all. And just thank you for always being supportive. It really does touch my heart.

till next post xo

One more thing…

I am sharing a picture of my husband and his bestie, who helped shovel- from his second visit with him in the hospital. He showed up twice, for hours, and called or texted everyday. They are like brothers, and I am lucky to not just have a great husband but a great brother. 😊