FIVE years without Sophia.
FOUR years of chronic pain.
THREE new daughters to love.
TWO prosthetic legs.
ONE year of learning life as an amputee….
I feel as though the countdown has finished, and now I’m blasting off into a second part of life. The past five years have been filled with many tears, much love, heartache, physical anguish, new family members, and feelings that encompass an entire spectrum of emotions.
The beginning into the next phase of life began with a beautiful dedication to Sophia. When traveling north from my home, I pass Willis Still Road where my beautiful daughter took her last breath - a place where I knelt over her body attempting to will, pray, and breathe life back into her body. That road evokes much emotion every time I pass by it.
This past Saturday Georgia Representative Clay Pirkle presented our family a copy of House Resolution 256 dedicating the intersection of Willis Still Road and Highway I-75 as the “Sophia Ruth Fisher Interchange.”
Denise and Melissa, two close friends for decades, went with me in March to the State Capitol where Representative Pirkle hosted us for the day. My friends, who have prayed for me and carried me through these years with grace and compassion, held my hands while those on the House floor and others of us in the gallery stood as the Resolution was read, not only honoring Sophia, but other Georgians.
So now, added signs at the intersection will help add a smile to the tears that are normally present when I drive by on the highway. It is an honor to know Sophia’s name is written down for all to either remember her or wonder who she is.
I know this life will never be like it looked five years ago. But it can be – and is – good again! While people have left the family circle, there are others who entered. And while no one can ever take the place of someone else, it’s wonderful to have more filled seats at the table, noise around the house, and extra laundry and dirty dishes when company leaves.
These years filled with adversities may have taken me down for a season, but now I have a mantle to take up and share. I have physical goals set, political positions to help advocate, speaking engagements scheduled, and family plans for keeping my precious family knitted together.
There’s a lot of fight left in me; a lot of things left to accomplish.
I honestly don’t know if I am trying to now make up for lost time or the fact that I KNOW life is short, but I am attacking life with a vengeance and working through all those items I want to accomplish and conquer! God spared my life – there is truly no reason I should be alive, much less being able to do the things I am now doing pain free – so I plan to make each moment count.
As the countdown to this season seems to be over, new life is appearing. And I’m excited to see where this life will lead me.