i'm feeling quite fortunate

between the years of 1938 and 1971 thousands of women were administered an estrogen-type drug to help prevent miscarriages. Although previous research concluded that the drug could have detremental effects, it was not officially stopped by the FDA until 1971, when researches concluded its effects.
by then, we had an entire generation of DES daughters and sons.
my grandmother took this chemical, and as a result, my mother and aunts are DES daughters.
i was speaking with an employee today and asked her about her family. the conversation led to the fact that she was unable to have children because of her mom taking DES. she said she had gone to the Mayo clinic (i'm pretty sure) and they told her she was actually just lucky to be alive, but would never be able to bear children.
i suddenly felt so lucky... maybe i should say -blessed-... to be alive... to have cousins... to have aunts who are all still alive.
admittedly, we have had certain related DES problems, but nothing so bad as the compltete inability to bear children or death.
i suddenly feel God's hand in all of our lives... His grace to us in spite of man's ignornace.