While much of the country has been embracing the start of the holidays, this year has not been a joyous one for my family.

Last week I attended the funeral of a young man who was killed in a freak accident. His mother is close friend of mine, and our families have been friends forever.

Now, I am unexpectedly spending my days at the hospital where my brother is fighting for his life. He has a tumor in his chest that is preventing him from breathing, and he is on a ventilator

Walking through the intensive care ward past person after person who is critically ill is humbling experience. Watching my brother hooked up to machines and tubes perform every bodily function we take for granted is devastating.

My brother's wife told the nursing staff that he likes music so even though he is sedated, they brought in a radio. That means instead of listening to the deadly quiet or the whir and beeps of the machines that surround him, we hope floating through the medically induced fog he is in, he can hear the country and western music he so enjoys.

All of this has been a stark reminder of what we already know - life is fragile and can change in an instant.

As the new week begins, we are on high alert looking for any positive change and relying on prayer and the caring and capable medical staff to deliver a Christmas miracle to our family.

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