February 22, 2018

A Message From Dan

Hello from Dan.

I feel it is necessary to address you all personally. First of all THANK YOU for your financial help and secondly for your prayers. Both are unselfish acts of kindness and caring, not to mention a sacrifice. I am more than grateful for you.

This injury has devastated me more than any other I have experienced. I spent 15 years in the military out of which five I was in special ops: parachuting, rappelling, and generally getting beat up on a regular basis. In 1992 I under went back surgery and had L4-L5 fused. In our nine years of homesteading I've damaged both thumbs setting over 150 t-posts, and almost cut off my left big toe with the chainsaw. I've been bitten twice by spiders. All of that doesn't compare to having a finger almost cut off.

Your words of encouragement and advice have not fallen on deaf ears, and a lot of it is confirmation of what I'm already doing. Just knowing there are folks out there who genuinely care and understand is a comfort. Maybe someday we can meet face to face and I can give you a big hug.

This lifestyle, which I know you can relate to, doesn't foster local friends. A church family we don't have due to the jobs I've had in trucking. Thank you for being family.

May God truly bless you tenfold for all of your support.

18 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Dan, what a lovely post. It's so heart-warming to "know" people like you and Leigh who truly appreciate emotional and financial support from others. So many folks these days look for "hand-outs," take what's offered and run with nary a small thank you or show of appreciation for those who have helped. Your thoughtfully written post warms the cockles of my heart (!) and reinforces the fact that there are still many truly good, hard-working, responsible, caring, value-totin' people in our society!

Sending prayers for your continued healing and help in getting over this not-so-small bump in the road.

Kat said...

Dan,
Thanks for all your years of service--in the military, on the road, and supporting your family. We've benefited immensely from all of this, and especially from the time Leigh puts into teaching and encouraging all of us through this blog.
I work in an exciting field where just about as many people are missing fingers as have them all. While it does cause many hardships, none of them are insurpassable, and the resulting jokes and antics--well I don't even know where to start!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the healing as things get better, and do try to enjoy some of the inevitable rest.

Gorges Smythe said...

All I can do is pray that God will heal you quickly. I hope everyone is as generous as possible.

jewlz said...

I imagine this is scant consolation, but your injury has helped us coalesce into even more of a "community." It's helped, if helped is the right word, me, too. I'd almost convinced myself I would be able to pick up my partners' chainsaws and power tools and teach myself how to use them in order to tackle the project list here. Your experience caused me to reconsider, and I'm probably going to be safer for the lesson. At any rate, Leigh's been a fount of knowledge, experience and generosity, and it's been a blessing to have a concrete way of saying how we appreciate that. Continued prayers!

kymber said...

Dan - what a beautiful message. and you are right - this blogging community is a "family". we have learned much from you and Leigh and you are both in our thoughts and prayers. we know that you can pull through this and probably come out stronger for the experience.

thank you Leigh for asking for help when you needed it. that's what we are all here for - to learn, to share and to help each other.

as always, your friends,
kymber and jambaloney

Mrs Shoes said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
M.K. said...

Hi, Dan! We don't have cash (because we're in your boat, and will be paying for years on my husband's finger surgery), but you have our prayers, and our support, and our love. Finding a support group can be hard, as you say. It's good to know you have friends even in blogland. May God continue to encourage you and comfort you, and help you trust Him that it will all turn out okay. Exercise that finger as much as you can, and regain as much movement as you can. I hope you don't have too much pain.

Mrs Shoes said...

*tears in my eyes*
As the daughter, & the soon to be mother-in-law, of military men - Thank You, Dan, for your Service.
You're so right about living this life kinda lonely, & how amazing it is to hold people you've never even met, but only read or read about, so close to heart.
((Big Squeezy Cyber Hugs to you & Leigh))
God Bless.

The Wykeham Observer said...

Hope you have a successful healing and can keep up with your work there on the farm!

Sandy Livesay said...

Dan,
From one military family to another, thank you for your service!
Thanks to both you and Leigh for spending time with your blogger friends educating us on homesteading and the self reliant way. Don't let the medical bills get you down. Concentrate on getting better and healing.
Keeping you in our prayers.
Sandy and Bulldog Man Livesay

Quinn said...

Dan and Leigh, I just got my computer back and am beginning to catch up on blog reading, so the way this situation has evolved is an unhappy surprise! I'm very late in sending good thoughts for your recovery, Dan, but know I'm keeping a good thought for you up here in MA.

Goatldi said...

Greetings Dan and nice to meet you ! Although I will admit to wishing it were under better circumstances.

Leigh is as I am imagining you already know an amazing lady and I can't think of anyone I am more comfortable in supporting as I can when the chips are down. She has done and you through her blog efforts much for many already in sharing with a large open heart.

You will be in my prayers as you have been and I look forward to this being behind you both and a bright future on the horizon. Thank you for your years of service.

IanH said...

Dan, happy to hear things are working out! Great letter! The main thing now is to get fully better!

Rain said...

Very nice to hear from you Dan. I'm so sorry about your accident and with you all the best. :)

Mark said...

Dan, you are so welcome. Your work around the homestead, as relayed to us by Leigh, has been an inspiration to all of us, sometimes when inspiration was desperately needed to keep our own dreams alive.

May God continue to bless the both of you, may you heal quickly, and may He give you the grace to thrive during the healing process. You both are in my prayers daily.

Nancy In Boise said...

Great post and thoughts Dan. Sending you good thoughts for your best possible outcome :)

Seeking Serenity said...

All I can do is give you a big tight ((((HUG))))
Injuries seem to get more difficult to 'get over' mentally and physically..
but you will carry on... a little wiser, more apt to ask for help, changing , adapting.

Donna OShaughnessy said...

Hello Dan! So nice to hear from you. Like my homesteading hubby you are often behind the scenes, while doing so much hard work. It was great hearing your "voice". Keith and I think of you two every time we get a little bit more done on our barn. By next fall we should have a couple of grand buildings indeed.