It’s May! It’s May! The month of “Yes, you may.”

If you’re a fan of Camelot, then you probably recognized that line. And if you’re not…well, I don’t know what to say. I mean, who isn’t a fan of Julie Andrews and all those dazzling lyrics from Lerner and Lowe?

So…yesterday, I received two packages. Inside one was a watch. Not just any watch. A watch I’d given a friend.

And when I saw that watch, I wanted to cry. You see, my friend is suffering from Parkinson’s Plus. My wonderfully witty, smart and professional and generous friend is wheelchair bound now and living in a nursing home. She is not quite a year older than me, and she is divesting herself of her worldly goods, returning gifts to long-time friends and family.

The other package I received was a contract. It’s a contract from a Korean company that publishes in the education market and I’d just completed a book for 4th graders. And though I’m glad to have this opportunity, I hadn’t thought of making a big deal about it because…because it’s the education market, I guess.

My heart is breaking, thinking of my friend, her mind sharp as a tack while her body breaks down. I held that watch, feeling a little bit angry, a little bit guilty. Why must she suffer so? And how can I go on my merry way when others are suffering?

And then suddenly, I felt a lot guilty.

I sort of did choke up a bit then, washed in shame as it were, with the realization that my friend hadn’t just returned a watch; she’d given me a slap upside the head. A reminder to appreciate the gifts given to us, and to make those God-given gifts count every minute of the precious time we have.

And so today, I’m singing with gratitude in my heart. I have a contract for a book! A book with my very own byline! And someday, a Korean student might read my book and learn to speak English just a little bit better because he or she enjoyed my story!

It’s May, it’s May! The month of “Yes, you may.”