Jeannie Conant was immediately surrounded by dozens of religious images, including a bulletin board I prepared by pulling out written notes from church children, with crayon drawings along with a classic laughing Jesus and baby lamb, somehow appropriate even though she would miss her favorite service, the Easter Vigil.
Gathering them took time, but was another labor of love, maybe a last one? Numerous people said that such spiritual positivity would be the key to her recovery, as doctors weren’t sure she would make it.
All through the several surgeries, Jeannie maintained an increasing positivity.
“I kept asking God, why did you do this to me,” she’d say, but then she’d pick up her multiple daily devotionals again and the old warmth returned. It helped that there is a chapel down the long hall.
The infection started in the right toe, which was amputated – and her left leg later – then spread by bloodstream throughout her body and its organs, fixating on any metal inserted from surgeries in prior hospitalizations. Knees were removed, then reinserted, and the spine was next, and that surgery could have easily been the killer. But she survived it.
Through it all, I had a blind faith. I did not believe she would die, feeling that Jeannie had more good work to do here on earth – as do I and could not without her.
Sheer logic ruled my prayer; after all, I selfishly need her here. Even after her past diagnosed electric shock and burn, asthma, chronic pulmonary problems, edema, peripheral neuropathy and obsessive compulsive disorder. She shares with me Tourette Syndrome, and my case is one for the record books.
I look back now at my month-old notes for meditation, my style of choice over rote prayer, which I have no problem with but believe I am really poor at, and a path was scripted for my continued spiritual growth.
I thought this would be really helpful for Jeannie’s recovery: “Theological, reconcile the traditional versus the progressive, for God to grant me the ability to provide prayers that he help her, and give me the skill with words to more fully implement this style.”
Which is what I then did.
Joe Winter and his wife, Jeannie Conant, are celebrating their 40th anniversary this month. Health concerns, including her series of recent surgeries, have been a challenge throughout their marriage. “The photo shows Jeannie schooling one of the nurses on a finer point of Catholicism,” he said. (Photo by Joe Winter)
