God has blessed me with a gift to remember people's names

To The Daily Sun,

In this Christmas season of giving and sharing and caring, I’d like to take the time to thank all of the wonderful staff at Genesis re-hab for the outstanding care and compassion shown to me while a patient there.

November 15, Drs. Hogan and Rideout performed excellent surgery (at L.R.G.H.). I was on the second step of a stool, thinking I was on the bottom one. Wrong! Broke my hip and a prosthesis was placed into the thigh bone with ball and socket attached — giving me a new hip! I’m now using a cane to walk. You have to learn how to walk again properly, so here is a list of all (hopefully not leaving anyone out!) who made the quick recovery possible: Dana (Donna), Doreen, Doug, Jason, Jennifer, Kathy, Mark, Rachel, Sue, Aimey, Annie, Bonnie, Caroline, Christina, Jody, Karen, Lee, Louis, Mirlene, Paige, Priscilla, Skye, Theresa, Trish, Traci, Tracie, Veronica, Yolanda, Ashley, Nicole, Zeke, Amy, Courtney, Elizabeth, Linda, Sharlene, Regan and Alex (café), Stacie, who washed my hair — no charge! And last, but not least, sweet Marie who daily brought me this paper and prayed with me for a quick recovery! The whole team was more than kind and professional in a facility where there is a lot of sadness, fear and negativity to deal with daily!

Thank you, John, family and friends for the visits, support and care! Also, thanks to all of you on my daughter Karen’s Facebook, who offered up tons of encouragement and prayers for a quick recovery! I’m a fossil at 78 with no smartphone-internet!

Having grown up in the foster care system since the age of three, I had no real family to call my own — a very detached person! Unconditional love accepts a person just the way they are — doesn’t try to change them — sees them the way they can become by growing (a choice) but it’s not our job to change them. All we can do is show the love given to us first. We all are searching for that love! So, God has blessed me with an ability (a gift!) to remember the names of people. I love people and consider you all a part of my extended family — we are all connected in this crazy world.

There’s a reason for things happening to us. We can be victims and wallow in self-pity or we can choose to grow from the experiences and be a little bit of light (smiles go a long way!) in this world of negativity. God loves all of us and is not mad at us! Unconditional love shown at the cross paid for all sin — past, present, future — through His Son’s shed blood sacrifice. The Old Testament covenant — the law — said what you had to do to get blessed. By the loving grace of Jesus who loves you so much He would’ve died for you if you were the only person in the world — paid the sin price — once and for all — finished! I lost my oldest son — can you imagine God sending His only perfect Son to pay for sin — once and for all! Pain beyond words to set us free! I am free! Only believe — all things are possible! The giving that I have been shown is more than money could ever buy! Merry Christmas to all who read this paper and beyond!

Virginia “Ginny” Filgate

Winnisquam