I am blessed to have made many friends in my lifetime, but few are as close to me as my dear pal Johnny Etheridge. Johnny is a fellow attorney who has practiced with the Gardner Law Firm in the Pee Dee for years and years. We have known each other for quite a long time and, having both been blessed—and cursed—with many common personality traits, we have a unique understanding of one another. We help each other through life’s ups and downs, and in many respects, Johnny is as much a brother to me as a friend.

Recently, Johnny was informed that he needed major eye surgery as a result of elevated pressure in his eye. He availed himself of every conservative measure to avoid surgery, knowing that there were serious risks associated with the procedure. But when those treatments did not relieve his symptoms, Johnny had little choice but to go through with the operation. So two weeks ago, my dear friend traveled to Duke for his scheduled surgery, preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. He went in for his pre-operative visit the morning before the procedure, but when the technician checked his pressures, they were within normal limits. In disbelief, the technician called for the surgeon, who performed the tests a second time. The results were the same: the pressure in Johnny’s eye had subsided. The surgeon, too, was astonished—Johnny no longer needed surgery, and his recovery was nothing short of a miracle.