In all the many years I have been writing this column, I never missed having a column.

I thought it was important to have it in every week. When I was on vacation, I wrote a column ahead of time.

Even when I had brain surgery, I had a column, thanks to my incredible boss Fred Masenheimer. He floored me by writing a column as a tribute to the many years I made sure I wrote my column. What he wrote was one of the most touching things I ever read.

He mentioned things I thought he didn’t know, like the times I stayed at work through the night when I was writing a story that was important to me.

To tell the truth, having to undergo neurosurgery changed me in some important ways. I told my Lord and savior if I still had things He wanted me to do I knew he knew would give me more time. If not, I was ready to go to my heavenly home.

I was extremely blessed with my fast recovery. Back then, the surgeon told me it was typical that it might take days to wake up after surgery.

Instead as they were wheeling me out of surgery, I was awake, telling the nurse I was hungry because I didn’t eat for days before the surgery. Everyone laughed, thinking I was joking. My diet for days was ice cubes. That, plus a ton of thanksgiving for my fast recovery.

That was a long time ago and much has changed in my life. But this is what hasn’t changed — my extreme gratitude for every day of life.

I know that every day we are given is a gift. I have been blessed to be able to share my feelings with you. Week in and out, I thrived on sharing life with you.

I think of my longtime readers as my extended family. Over the years, I have shared your stories that you sent me and they were meaningful to me.

Some of you wrote to say you want to be able to count on reading my column every week. I viewed your trust as a responsibility to have the column here for you every week.

I’ve had some close calls over the years, but nothing has stopped me from having my column here for you right where you expect it to be.

Until now.

I’ve been done in by failing technology. My faithful computer died. At first, it was little by little. When part of it would no longer work, my son-in-law showed me a way around it. It takes a young person to do that. Finally, nothing worked.

I did write a column that I thought was one of my best.

But you never ever saw it. No one did. The column simply disappeared and no one was able to help.

I kept getting email from readers who were concerned that something happened to me. They wrote the most compelling notes, and I truly wanted to answer every one. But without my computer, it’s been impossible.

I hired an expert to try to help and my son-in-law kept trying to help. So now I have an electronic patchwork that I’m trying.

The good news is I can again write a column.

The bad news is it’s taking forever for me to learn how to do it. I know the answer is to keep trying.

Today, I had a delightful call from Fred Masenheimer, who also wanted to find a solution.

I told my editor Marta Gouger I will have to write the column every other week until I get better at working my new computer. And Fred is planning his own solution.

So thank you, dear readers, for your patience.

Stay tuned.

Email newsgirl@comcast.net