"Listening to the Whispers" ?

Welcome to my new blog. As it says in my profile, I'm on a very big journey.

As most (all?) of you know, after four years of disability, including two years of dialysis, my husband, Dan, had a fatal heart attack June 12th, 2005. The same month Dan was disabled, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He died December 16th of 2003. Added to that, I was born with a genetic disease called Turner's Syndrome, which has increasingly affected my body and my day to day life. Turner's means where most women have two x chromosomes, I have only one. Among other things, it has taken much of my hearing, taken the roots that should have been holding my teeth in, and given me arthritis in many of my joints and osteoporosis in my spine. All of this has left me with a challenging physical reality, because I'm not able, physically, to work a fulltime job to support myself, and I don't have someone to support me.

At the same time, I have been blessed with so much that I feel horrible complaining. So many of you, and so many others, have truly surrounded me, and Dan, with so much support and love, and even miracles, and I am truly humbled and grateful. You have truly made a difference and continue to make a difference.

As many of you also know, Dan was a Vietnam vet who survived torture. he left me with the mission to stop torture as the law, policy and practice of the United States, and to push to have those responsible held legally accountable. This blog won't primarily be talking about torture, unless you have questions; I mentioned it because my mission is central to my life. Over the past five years, I have tried to live up to that mission, but I don't feel I'm being as effective as I could be.

Which leads to the question: when I say, "Listening to the Whispers", what am I talking about? Well, most of you have heard, or were part of, what happened surrounding Dan and Bo Bice, and me and the whole community, so you know that in my faith tradition it became clear that God had a plan that He was carrying out, a plan more miraculous and more amazing than any of us could have guessed. But it's okay if you don't believe that; I respect those with other faith traditions and those who don't have a faith tradition. The "whispers" are those nudges you get, in my case from God, that show you the next step in your journey. I feel like I've been getting a lot of whispers over the last few months and that God has been getting me ready to take a huge step towards a whole new life. This blog will be about listening to and for those whispers, exploring them, and finding a way to follow them.

Please, I hope this place will be lively with conversation. Ask questions. Make observations. Express concerns. Talk about whatever is in your heart. I can't do this without you.

Thank you for your love.
Thank you for being in my life.
Thank you for being you.

Make it a great day!
May your day be filled with love and inspiration.