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Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes

Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes

How do you measure? Measure a year?

In daylights,

In sunsets,

In midnights,

In cups of coffee,

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes

How do you measure a year in a life?

How about love? Measure in love...Seasons of love.

It has been almost a year since we last wrote an update on Kathy’s progress. As is often the case with these healthcare sites, no news is good news! Recovery progresses to near normal and the milestones become less monumental. As we approach Kathy’s birthday in April, I wanted to fill people in on the events of the last 11 months.

We are so proud of the work Kathy has put into her recovery. She has worked very hard and has made amazing strides with extensive physical, occupational, speech and neuro therapies, doctor appointments and several visits to the experts at Mayo. She was one of the first to be vaccinated, then boosted, and recovered quickly from a mild case of COVID in November.

Last week, she graduated from a six-month Community Reintegration program at Courage-Kenny. This program provided Kathy with tools and support for navigating life after a brain injury. Our family gathered in person to celebrate her accomplishment - one of the first times we have been together since the pandemic restrictions have eased. Kathy’s recovery is due in large part to the unwavering dedication of her children who have coordinated every aspect of her rehab and provided a safe and healthy environment for Kathy to thrive.

We have passed many “firsts” throughout this year - and approaching the anniversary of Kathy’s accident in October gave us all a fair amount of trepidation. Anticipating this, Grace and Gwynneth planned a lovely weekend get-together in Duluth with Kathy, her mother Lynda and sister Narrah to celebrate a year of recovery. We had some fancy meals, walked along the Lake Superior boardwalk, hung out in the hotel room and made some really fun new memories to replace the sad and scary ones. The highlight was a visit to the gardens of Glensheen Mansion, where we toured the grounds, took in the magnificence of the Great Lake and had some humorous moments which confirmed once again that Kathy’s sense of humor remains intact.

Following this theme, Jamie (Narrah's husband) shared a message reflecting on the magnitude of this anniversary:

A second New Year (October 7th 2021)

One year ago today, our lives changed. While Kathy lay in a faraway hospital bed, with tubes and IVs and beeping monitors with green digital readouts, we confronted the frailty of life and the cruel reality of chance and circumstance. One year ago today, a bad thing happened to a good person.

We all create ripples in the waters of life, constantly touching and affecting other ripples in the water. Sometimes, when bad things happen unexpectedly, it turns the ripple into a tsunami. As minutes turn into hours that turn into days, we are overwhelmed with fear, angst, stress, anger, resentment and, perhaps worst of all – the unknown.

Then, about six weeks after that bad day one year ago, a good thing happened to a good person. It also happened, perhaps literally, in the blink of an eye. The tsunami was tamed to tidal wave, then after a while it was waves crashing on the shores of Lake Superior, and now, today, to the gentle ripples of everyday life. True, it’s not that simple and in many ways today’s everyday life is not ‘the same.’ But then again, how could it be? Because we have all changed from one year ago.

So today? I look upon it as an extra New Year’s Eve! Because my fear ended up being exactly that – just fear and not what I was fearful of. We’ve so much to be grateful for in this past year, and so much to look forward to in the coming year. Together. Toot the horn! Pop the Cork! Give each other a kiss and a hug. Happy New Year!”

There have also been some exciting family events in the last year: Kathy's daughter Grace became engaged to her boyfriend Shane, and they bought a house in South Minneapolis. Kathy loves all the great restaurants in the area and enjoyed walking around Lake Harriet last week with her companion Jennifer. The newest addition to the Shane and Grace household is an adorable golden retriever puppy named Ziggy. She brings so much joy to Kathy, and everyone else who meets her! Kathy’s other daughter Gwynneth lives with her boyfriend Matt and their dog “Bixby” a few miles away, and Hunter lives in CA with his newfie “Wizard”, so Kathy has three fur-grand-puppies.

Kathy continues to be supported by her daughters and son, and her extended family. She enjoys Friday dinners with her mom, dials in to the family zoom calls twice a week and loves going to movies and seeing plays. As the pandemic restrictions lift, Kathy looks forward to continuing her recovery, gardening, being a puppy grandma, volunteering, going to book club, traveling, reconnecting with friends and finding renewed meaning in living “this one wild and precious life”.

Kathy's new address is:

Kathryn Thompson

4600 Grand Ave

Minneapolis, MN 55419

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,