Walt's Journey

June 19, 2011. Father’s Day. I have always appreciated father’s day, but this one was a bit more meaningful than the years past. I am eight months into my recovery from open-heart surgery, and father’s day is a day that I was not going to take for granted. I love my kids so much, and one thing that quickly comes to mind whenever I reflect on that day in October, 2010, is how close they were to being without a father. God had other plans, and I received a second chance to continue doing life with my family. It was great being recognized by Gabe and Hope on this special day. If you have not taken the opportunity to give your children a dedicated hug today, I would encourage you to give them a big squeeze. That chance may not be there tomorrow.

I wrote in my blog on April 23, 2011 how awesome it was to get back on the bike. I was able to get through the ride better than I had anticipated. A couple of weeks later, I went on another ride that turned out to be a horrible experience. I wore out quickly and my body let me down. I suffered just to make it to the seven mile marker. I turned around and made it back. The discouragement I felt afterward was overwhelming. I made the assumption that since my first ride went well, that I would only get better. This up and down experience is what I face daily. There are days that I do better than expected, and then there are days, like the last couple of weeks, that I fight madly in order to make it through the day.

On June 11th, I was able to go on a ride with all of my brothers-in-law along with the friend that I normally ride with. This ride went a little bit better than the previous one, so I was slightly encouraged. This past Saturday, June 18th, I was able to get through the full twenty-one miles much stronger than any ride up to this point. I felt good during and after the ride, and am looking forward to continuing to get back to where I was on the bike prior to my surgery. My ultimate goal is to ride the Dalmac in the next couple of years. This is a lofty goal for someone who has been through heart surgery, has a tear on their aorta and a leaky valve, but I need to find something that I can push myself toward.

I am thoroughly enjoying coaching the 9U Elba Bulldogs travel baseball team. The team has come a long ways since their first game on May 4th, and we are now half way through our twenty-six game schedule. All the boys have improved drastically, and I am looking forward to seeing that trend continue.