Recently I received an email from the mother of a spinal injury patient. She first contacted me last year around the holidays, and we have kept in touch over the past year. In her most recent email, she asked me to resend the first email I had sent from Christmas Day 2008. Thank goodness for even my limited knowledge of web-based mail, for I did still have last year’s email.

But that started me thinking about the timing of a year - and how fast that year goes for some, yet how long for others. When we only hear from someone every few weeks, or even a few times a year, we do not have a glimpse into their day-to-day lives. For a spinal injury patient, those day-to-day tasks sometimes make the days and years seem longer.

None of us knows what each other lives with on a daily basis: the challenges, the hardships and even the joy. It is a good reminder that while someone might have healed physically, the healing continues in ways we might not see. And this can take years.

For those of you who may be struggling as the new year is underway, I wish you peace and joy through your challenges and hardships.