43 seconds can absolutely be enough to change your day. That's what greeted me when I logged onto social media yesterday afternoon and saw that Arik Matson, the Waseca Police Officer who was shot around 8 pm on January 6th 2020 allegedly by Tyler Janovsky while responding to a call for service, created a video update for friends and family.

In the video Arik, who is currently in Omaha rehabilitating, thanks all of his family and friends for the support. Matson tells people in the update that he has been to three hospitals since the incident, and that he is at a specialized rehabilitation clinic in Omaha.

Matson also notes that "There is nothing I want more than to get back home to my wife and my daughters and my family and get back to living life like I did before."

Arik wanted to make sure he personally thanked everyone for the support and noted he has "a wall full of cards".

In the video, Matson is wearing a Vikings hat and sweatshirt sent to him by Minnesota Vikings and also thanked Wide Reciever, Adam Thielen, for a signed football.

According to an update to his CaringBridge site, Arik has regained many of his senses as "his touch, taste, smell, and hearing are all at different levels some more intense than others use to be. He is able to walk on his own at times for short distances (never alone). He often finds himself needing the help of an assistant more than not. Arik's memory is all there. His appetite is back. He is able to write letters back and forth with his daughters weekly."

It's hard to believe that it has been 6 months since many of us woke up in Southern Minnesota to the news of a police officer being shot in Waseca. But Arik continues to fight and he keeps making strides and reaching goals that have been set for him, which is no surprise as we learned in January that he simply is #MatsonStrong.

I reached out to Arik before I wrote this as I know he and his family also value their privacy. He gave me the go-ahead to give/write this update.

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