When she fell over the side of the dock into the water, I was introduced to the feeling of helplessness. She was only three years old, but she had taken one or two swimming lessons which increased her chances of surviving by 100%. Even though she was mostly under water, she never lost her focus. Neither of us blinked while we maintained eye contact, and she managed to gulp a gasp of air every time and again. To this day I still don't know if she could hear me screaming her name over and over until our mother came running from the farthest point within earshot. I was only six, and I didn't know what else to do. Mom surged into the water and scooped her up, but I still felt like a failure. I thought I should have been able to save her. The water was just too deep and I didn't jump in. After we all had a chance to catch our breath, Mom explained to me what had really happened; I saved my sister's life.

The second time was in the midst of laughter. Believe it or not my mother knows the answer to every question I've ever asked her. Luckily, I witnessed the one moment she was actually stifled. She was choking, and she told me if I wasn't there to perform the Heimlich maneuver she wouldn't have known how to save herself.

The third time, my father had hiked five months to arrive in my neighboring town. He was on the last leg of the Appilation Mountain Trail when I picked him up from the trailhead with intent to provide a little bit of hospitality. At some point, he casually noted a rash on his arm. He showed me the faint circle of red and I strongly suggested he get it checked out. It didn't irritate him too much, and he was five months into his six-month journey; the last thing he wanted to do was go to a hospital. I insisted, and for some reason he complied. It turned out to be Lyme Disease, which when left untreated (for another month) can result in chronic arthritis and nerve and heart damage.

I am very much looking forward to spending another Thanksgiving with my family. Every year it's different.

photo by: LL