After I cleaned the vomit out of hair, clothes and more crevices than you could imagine existed in the average family vehicle, I got to get dressed to go to a fundraising event. Yay! (Please read that with all the due sarcasm intended.)
Once we got there, though, I got to hear a pioneer in heart surgery give some reflections. Wow - I'm sorry for being grumpy...
Dr. Denton Cooley was, among many things, the first surgeon to implant an artificial heart in a man. But, along with his groundbreaking surgical advances, he was as equally well-known for a feud with another heart surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey, that spanned more than 40 years.
The thing that struck me the most, though, was the fact that, while recalling his life's work and achievements, the most poignant thing he spoke of was his reconciliation with Dr. DeBakey (in 2007 when DeBakey was 99 years old and Cooley 87). It reminded me that you can be a "success", but it really is the relationships you maintain and the people in your life that make it all worthwhile.
Have a happy weekend. And, be thankful for the people you love.
