Some thoughts one year on

It's probably not every day that you get up and think to yourself that it feels good to be alive. However, exactly 12 months after enduring a heart attack that could easily have changed my life in a far more drastic way than it ultimately did, I feel that I have come out of that whole experience with a greater perception of just how much I have to be thankful for.

Irrespective of the size of my bank account and the number of countries I visit; whatever car I drive and however much crap I needlessly buy to stock up the shelves containing my video, DVD and CD collections; I ultimately know that all of those things would be completely meaningless without the continued love and support of the many people that I owe so much to.

It was in no small measure thanks to the generosity and seemingly never-ending selfless nature of so many of my close friends and family members, especially during those 6 months that I spent recuperating, that I was able to come through it all with a feeling of such positive energy.

In particular, I'll forever be grateful to my loving wife Monika for the incredible way she patiently nursed me back to health without ever once complaining; to my brother Steve and sister Lynn for coming from Britain to be with me when I was released from hospital; to my colleagues from school for all of their visits, gifts, phone calls, text messages and cards during the 6 days that I spent recovering in St. Luc's; to the many caring friends I have in Germany like Dirk and Annette who always made me feel I was in their thoughts; to Elaine, Julie, Leonie and many others who continually gave up their afternoons to make the regular trip to Tervuren; to the Old Firm back in Blighty whose many phone calls were always incredibly uplifting; to all the numerous contributors to the Anglophone department's present of an Amazon Kindle and gift voucher; to Michelle and Penny for their hospitality; to Lucy for her incredible send-off, together with all of the girls who contributed to the performance of Penny's lyrical masterpiece; to Dr Goossens and Dr Dewingaerden and my wonderful physio Els van Rossum in Duisburg, all of whom enabled me to cope with the added complications of a shoulder operation; to Soeren for making me believe that I could risk the amazingly fulfilling trip to Eyke and Mark's wedding; to Caren and Pascal for making me feel such an integral part of that very special day; to my stepdaughter Juliane for her undying love; and to Nicky whose ability to forgive was far more than I ever deserved.

Thank you so much to all of you, and to the many others like Roger & Martha, Pat & Frank, Chris & Rowena, Robert & Sylviane, Kevin & Margaret, as well Luc, Dick and John for helping to put a smile back on my face after what was unquestionably the most difficult 6 months of my life. My recovery wouldn't have been possible without you.