Tuesday, November 19, 2025 – Day 463
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Good morning, everyone.
Gratitude
Over the weekend, I received a card from Sandy and Don—high school friends of Cindy’s who welcomed me to Crystal Lake when I moved here in 2007. Don and I shared running in common, which made it easy for me to break into Cindy’s network of friends. Over the course of twenty years, we developed a really good friendship.
Don and Sandy moved to Galena a few years back, and we still stay in touch—mostly because Cindy and Sandy always talk. When they come back into town, we make sure to catch up. I’m grateful we’ve stayed connected.
Sandy wrote a very kind message in the card, saying she has enjoyed getting to know me more deeply through the blog. I suspect that may be true for a lot of people. She especially liked the story about my childhood family dinners and asked why I sat at the end next to my dad. I wish I had a deep, philosophical explanation, but the answer is simple: I’m a lefty, and that seat kept me from constantly bumping elbows with right-handers and starting a war.
Her other question was about birth order—she wondered if I was the oldest. I’m not sure what prompted that, but others may be curious as well. Here’s the lineup:
- Lis
- Bill
- Sarah
- Tom
- Andy
- Tim
- Nick
- Maria
We were all relatively close in age. From oldest to youngest is just nine years. And the first six of us were born in four years. For those who don’t know, I’m a triplet with Tom and Tim—sheer chaos at that point. The obvious follow-up question is: Why were there more kids after the triplets? The simple answer…because we were Catholic. I’ll leave it at that.
Anyway, Sandy’s card was uplifting, positive, and incredibly encouraging—about our friendship, about this blog, and about the way I’ve fought through so many ALS challenges. It was truly touching. Thank you, Sandy.
Also over the weekend, we found a beautiful arrangement of white flowers on the front porch—sent to Cindy from a good friend she met while living in California. They brought a big smile to her face, which made me feel good. Cindy toils quietly in the background of this shitty disease and always does it with a smile, even though I know her heart is breaking. These small gestures really do bring light into the darkness.
There are so many others who have sent cards, made meals, met us at restaurants, donated, helped with home repairs, and much more. Thank you for being a part of Andy’s Army these last 463 days.
Have a great Tuesday. Love you guys! ❤️
Photos: • Lis and Steve showing off their Andy’s Army shirts in Argentina at Iguazu Falls. Cindy and I were there with Pete and Maria on the Brazil side on a different trip. Highly recommend going—the falls are amazing. • Flowers from Rhonda (California friend)
