These are my people...

...this is where I come from

We're givin' this life everything we got

And then some

It ain't always pretty, but it's real

It's the way we were made, wouldn't have it any other way

These are my people.

Rodney Adkins, "These are my people"

My friend who is Chillin' With Lemonade wrote a few posts about her "life sustainers." These were the people who were there with her during the darkest days of her life and helped - and are still helping - to pull her through. Today, my sustainers paid me a surprise visit to Philly, and I absolutely couldn't have been more surprised or more thrilled to see these amazing women.

They told my folks and Derek that they were coming and apparently it was not presented as an option. It was "We're coming - should we tell Jen or let it be a surprise?" And what an amazing surprise! I came back to the hotel to feed Luke and they were waiting for me in my hotel room with the four best hugs I've ever had. We sat and visited for a few minutes and then they sprang into action: doing my laundry, taking lunch to Derek, taking me out into the sunshine for a walk, insisting I eat and drink when I would have just forgotten. They are currently getting some quality time with Luke so my folks and my mother-in-law can get a good night's sleep. Absolutely amazing.

I spent most of the day away from this ICU room, and the combination of a little distance from words like "amiodarone," a brisk walk to Target in the sunshine, and the love of these wonderful girls has improved my spirits in ways I can't even describe. I love you ladies!

Enough about me - y'all want an update on Jay, I know. He's been very, very steady all day. His rhythm is lovely and we're still getting consistent (though weak) heartbeats. He's liking his comfy new mattress and has tolerated lots of touching and moving without so much as a skipped beat. He was just moving his legs around and now he's currently clamping his mouth shut so the nurse can't suction his breathing tube. We've got our favorite nurse and ECMO specialist on tonight ... they're the clean freaks of the unit and start their shift by wiping down every surface in the room with alcohol wipes. All in all, he's doing great and we're hoping for another smooth, drama-free night.

I'll end this tribute to my people with this story from one of my favorite blogs, Adventures of a Funky Heart (a fantastic resource on congenital heart disease). He was talking about the importance of finding support from other heart moms, and that's hugely important. But whether or not your sustainers have been in your shoes, finding people who will take on your hurts as their own makes your burden bearable.

In the TV series The West Wing Leo tells Josh the story of the guy who fell in the hole. A good support group is like the friend who jumps in the hole with him. Here’s the story:

“This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by – ‘Hey, Joe, it’s me! Can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before… and I know the way out.’”

Thanks, girls, for jumping into the hole with me. I love you!