30 Days

This morning I saw a news story about a young woman who had a benign tumor pressing against her brain stem. The surgery required to save her life, would mean total loss of hearing. So, she spent 30 days creating vivid memories of the most special sounds around her. She recorded video of herself enjoying the sound of the ocean waves, listening to her favorite song on her Ipod, playing with her dog, conversations with her family, etc.

There are so many beautiful sounds that we take for granted as we hear them throughout our day - the sound of children laughing, birds chirping, leaves rustling in the wind, music and the voices of the people we love.

This particular story was especially timely given a medical scare that my twin sister had over the weekend. She went to her regular eye exam on Saturday. The ophthalmologist noticed three small holes in her retina (of her good eye) and referred her to a retinal specialist. This was even more worrisome since the problem was in her good eye. Her vision is quite poor in the other eye already. Retinal holes or tears increase the risk of a retinal detachment. That can lead to total vision loss if medical treatment isn't obtained quickly.

The next couple of days were very stressful. The news is good. The retinal specialist did not see any need for treatment (such as surgery to prevent retinal detachment). On Saturday morning she merely had a routine eye exam on her daily schedule. From that moment on, until her eye exam with the retinal specialist was completed Tuesday afternoon, the gift of vision and what it might be like to lose it was on all of our minds.

What sounds would you most want to hear if you only had 30 days left to hear them?
What sights would you most want to see if you only had 30 days left to see them?
What favorite foods would you most want to taste if you only had 30 days left to see them?
Who are the people you would most like to have one last meaningful conversation with if you only had 30 days to do so?