Over the last few years while sitting in the Orlando Airport waiting for my flight home exhausted from the week that is Lotusphere I have taken a few moments to write a post thanking the people who did something to make that Lotusphere special and memorable for me.
The first person on that list is always my wife Elisa. Every year I leave the (usually) cold, sometimes snowy northeast, and head for a week of warmth in Orlando. In the meantime Elisa is home with three kids that over the past few years have either had vacation from school, or were home thanks to snow days.
This year is no different, and at the same time it is very different. By now I think you all know that last June Elisa was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a summer and fall of chemo, and surgery a week ago, Elisa is happily cancer free, but still recovering from surgery after which there is still radiation.
The only reason I am able to attend Lotusphere this year is because Elisa insisted that I go, even knowing that she would still be recovering from Surgery.
Thanks also go out to my parents and my in-laws who have been helping us out non stop through 20 weeks of chemo and again now during surgery and the recovery.  We definitely appreciate all the help you have given us, and there is no way I would be able to even think about going to Lotusphere with out knowing you would be here to help.
I am sure I will have my usual Lotusphere thank you post on the way out of Orlando a week from now, but I wanted to thank Elisa for letting me go in this anything but normal year. Next year you have to keep your promise to make the annual pilgrimage to Orlando with me.
Links
Lotusphere 2011 Departing Thoughts and Thanks
Farewell Lotusphere 2010 and Thank You
Some thoughts and Thank Yous on the way home and Lotusphere 2009
Mitch, it sounds like you are blessed with a wonderful wife. I been following her battle with cancer, and I am extremely happy to hear that she beat it.
And I am looking forward to meet her next year!