​Twenty years ago I worked for an employee benefits agency. One of the phrases I often heard was, “Plan like you’ll live forever, and then live like you’ll die tomorrow.” As I’ve returned to somewhat normal living since my extended medical leave, this phrase has morphed into a very relevant question:
 
How do I live with uncertainty?

​We have three sons, and today is our oldest son’s birthday. While he couldn’t be home for Fathers’ Day (he lives three time zones away) my other two boys were home for the day. By the end of the day, I had learned a new lesson relative to my recent medical journey:
 
We each traveled our own path of suffering.

​For the past few weeks, I’ve been reflecting on what I learned from my medical journey: 40 days in the hospital, 8 surgeries. Since this is, by name, a blog on forgiveness, it’s fair to ask the question:
 
What role did forgiveness play in my ordeal?