Before I begin, I want to thank my husband Perry, children Meghan, Maura, and Maura's husband David. Thank you to my dearest sisters and family for being with me every moment. Each one of you know the love and gratefulness in my heart.
To "Team Mark": Forgive me, I am more than a little overwhelmed as I write this.
I have read every note posted here many times. I know there were candles lit for me each morning.
I know there were masses dedicated to me around the world.
I know I found old friends again.
I received books, poems, coloring books, meals, visitors, cookies.
I am thankful this website was originally designed so I could not reply. There are no words I can put to paper
for what I feel.....Alive and Loved !!!!
Thank you to each and every one of you. We NEVER felt alone.
Throughout this battle, I received over 400 personal cards. This fact alone, and many others, I can't seem to get out of my heads.
One of these letters from dear friends of ours enclosed the following poem:
"Footprints in the sand"
I had a dream. I was walking along the ocean shore. Looking at the dark night sky I imagined scenes of my life.
And to each scene I saw two pairs of footprints in the sand, my own and the ones of my guardian angel.
As the last image disappeared, I looked back. I was startled to see that on many parts in the sand, my path of life,
I could only see one track, one pair of footprints......And these seemed to have been during the hardest parts of my life.
Alarmed, I asked my guardian angel: "I always thought that you accompany me wherever I go. But now I discovered that in the
hardest times of my life, there is only one track in the sand. Why did you leave me alone when I needed you most?"
The angel answered gently: "My dear friend, I am always there for you and will never leave you alone, especially not in
hard times ! Where you saw only one track, I was carrying you!!"
...This poem perfectly describes my feelings about Team Mark. You carried me.
My family all had a rough year, no doubt.
Thanks to ALL of you, I am still here.
Love, Mark