but this has to be said.

I know that I'm lucky to work where I do. I may not have always said it, and sometimes you get crabby about things, but this is a good company.

And it's filled with great people.

While I was out for my bypass surgery and recovery, I received many emails and phone calls from co-workers checking on us, offering their help, etc., and that in itself amazed me.

But we also got a very generous gift that was collected from my co-workers here and from the distribution center as well that completely floored me and my wife.

I returned to work after the New Year started and everyone was very warm and welcoming to the guy who'd been at home for two months.

Then today we were to have an all-employee lunch (a quarterly thing we do to recognize employment anniversaries, etc).

Only it wasn't for that. It was a welcome back luncheon for me.

Ordinarily our company will have some sort of goodbye luncheon for people that leave, and that is very nice. But to have our president stand up in front of everyone and welcome me back, say how much I was missed and that they were all thinking about me during the time I was out and that they were all thankful that I was okay, well, you could have knocked me over with a blocked Left Anterior Descending artery.

If the guy sitting next to me wasn't joking with me I probably would have cried. (Go ahead and laugh here. I don't really care). I have been completely overwhelmed by the support, generosity and kindness of this company and the people here that I can't adequately find the words to express it. A simple "Thank You" doesn't seem like nearly enough. I wish I could express what the support and well wishes have meant to me and my family. It's meant more than any of them could possibly know.

And to top it off, I got AMEX gift certificates to take my wife out to dinner with, when just letting me come back to work here was generous enough.

All I can say is that I am a changed man. I will be a better person, a better employee, and a better friend to those with whom I work.

Thanks everyone. Thank you.