It's a Miracle!

And no, I'm not referring to the fact that I'm finally updating the blog - although that might seem miraculous and surprising, given my recent track record - I'm talking about the picture below:

Me and my adorable nephew, James, on my visit to Chicago in April

It may look like just an ordinary picture to you, but this one is special because it comes from my old hard drive. You know, the one that crashed months ago. The one that left me with no photos. The one that totally took the wind out of my sails and left me with little desire to get back in the blogging saddle. The one they told me would never, ever come to life again.

To be honest, I was crushed when it happened, but eventually I came to terms with writing all those things off. I'd already mentally said goodbye to a year's worth of pictures, posts (and all the prep work on my graduate thesis), when an old college friend offered to have a look at it for me. As talented as my friend is with computers - and believe me, he's a genius - I didn't have much hope. I'd been told, by people who know about these kinds of things, that I'd never see my stuff again...

...And that's where the miracle comes in, because my friend wasn't just able to save my photos - he saved everything! All at once, the things I thought were lost were restored to me, and it was a real lesson in gratitude.

I have so much stuff. I mean, I truly, honestly want for nothing, and yet the most important things I have aren't material. They aren't even the pictures on my hard drive or the posts I've written - they're my friends and family. Truly awesome people who are there when I need them and who, sometimes and in the right circumstances, can even work miracles!