Wow What a Year!

I must say this has been a tough year.  There have been wonderful, joyous events.  There have been times of deep sadness and worry.  Throughout the year we have experienced joy, sorrow, happiness, pain, birth and death.  This is life.  We can not expect each day to be filled with shouts of joy.  But thankfully we also can not always be in the depths of sorrow.

We have had more than our share of the valley's this  year, but we also see times of mountain top joy.  We will get through it all and we will be better for the journey.

I'd like to share a few moments of joy with you.











Later D

Changes

I've discovered that as I grow older, while I thought things would be less likely to change in fact things change rapidly and frequently.

Dates that seemed to take forever to roll around each year when I was in my twenties, now seem to happen twice as quickly.



We are not promised tomorrow and should live our lives as if today might be our last. I recently heard from a dear friend that he has incurable cancer and has been told he has about two years to live. He is a young man with a wife and three children.

Tell those dear to you that you love them ...don't delay.

Be Careful What You Say

When you make a statement like "Happiness Is A Choice" be prepared to have that statement tested!

Ever since my last post, I've been faced with numerous things that have tested my determination to "choose to be happy."



On Sunday, a pitcher of creamer was knocked off our table at lunch and it dumped into my purse right on top of my phone. We cleaned and wiped but the phone is dead and I'm using a loaner until I can get a replacement. Of course I don't have insurance and there is a little over a month before I'm eligible for an upgrade.

Then I'd noticed my car was a bit sluggish cranking one morning. The battery had to be replaced.

Often when we state a goal, then we are tested to see if we are serious about our promise.


I'm still choosing to be happy, but the choice is harder some days than others.

The Roller Coaster

Wow, this month has been a real roller coaster.

On January 11th we experienced the birth of our first grandchild, a beautiful, healthy baby boy. I was able take a week off work to spend helping out my son and daughter-in-law as they adjusted to having the new baby.

Then on January 21st, I received a call from my mother telling me she thought she was having a heart attack. We rushed her to the hospital and she had surgery for a blockage and a heart stent implanted. Then further testing showed she needed a pace maker so that surgery came the following day.

Mom is now home and improving daily, but it will be a slow process as she heals.

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The last three weeks have shown me just how quickly things can change and how precious each moment is. How life can change. I went the euphoria of having a new grandchild and watching this wonderful new being everyday for a week, back to the everyday grind of a job. From gathering pen and paper to head to a meeting, to grabbing my coat and rushing to the hospital. Joy, Excitement, Birth, Life, Daily Living, Fear, Worry, One short phone call, a couple of breaths, a heart beat that is thankfully still beating.

Don't take life for granted. We do not have the promise of tomorrow. We have today and the opportunity to tell those we love how much they mean to us. Don't let this chance slip away.

Reflections on Christmas

I have not posted much this month, mainly because I've been so busy. At work there have been lots of layoffs and I praise God, that I still have my job. John and I have also been sick with the flu so it's been a busy stressful time.

Our DIL is very close to delivering the baby. Over the last few days she is beginning to have contractions and her due date is just a few days away. Needless to say, we are very excited.

This Christmas has been a time to remember those that are no longer with with us. John's Dad passed last January 17, so this is our first Christmas without him. However, last Christmas he was in a nursing home and too ill to bring home. Also, my Dad passed in February 2006 so this is our second Christmas without him.

Such is life. There is joy and pain. New life and death. Remembering and making new memories.
I am looking forward to the new year and the blessings God has in store for us.

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. We certainly did.

A Life Well Lived

This week a wonderful man passed from this life into the next. He left behind a wife and two children. But he also left behind hundreds of friends and more memories than can be counted. There aren't words to express the amazing happenings from his room at hospice this past week, but they will be memories I will always carry with me.

It didn't take long after meeting Jared, for me to know that he loved his family wholeheartedly and that singing was a huge part of his life. His love for God was apparent in all that he did. From our first meeting I liked him and was glad to call him my friend. He and his wife, Amy, are members of our church choir and frequently sang in the ensemble. He was a fireman and had loved firetrucks even as a child. It seems he was born to be a fireman. His children said he was great at being a dad. What a wonderful legacy to leave.

He loved deeply and was deeply loved. His fellow firemen collected money and sent the family on a trip to Hawaii earlier this year. They were able to make memories that will have to last his family a lifetime. He was able to attend the father - daughter dance in February. So many memories to carry with them.

Today was the funeral and it was an amazing service. Because Jared knew his disease was terminal, he had the opportunity to plan his own memorial service. The songs, scripture and who he wanted to speak. But the most amazing thing was he recorded a video message to those in attendance. It was totally Jared. He always liked to joke and laugh. He even found a bit of humor in this final recording. He was able to speak directly to his wife and children, one last time to tell them how much he loves them. He thanked co-workers and friends. But most importantly he was able to express his faith and belief in God. He encouraged us to search our hearts and make sure we each have a personal relationship with Jesus. He assured his family he will see them in heaven, where he has been healed, is without pain and disease free. His final concern was to share Jesus with all those he loves and the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus. (John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.) He spoke of life being a vapor with no promise of tomorrow. (James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.) He was concerned about others right up to the end.

I admire him, am honored to have known him. Jared I miss you my friend, rest in God and I will see you again one day.

What If?

As I rush around this morning getting ready for my day, I wonder, if I'm being the best person I can be? Am I taking the time to tell my family and friends I love them? Am I smiling at a stranger as I pass by or am I scowling as I think of what I have to do next?

A story on the news this morning is about a highway being closed due to a bad car wreck and I found myself wondering, What is my fate for the day? I'm sure the person in the vehicle that flipped didn't plan on that happening today. What if that was me? When I left the house this morning, my husband was still asleep. I tried to dress quietly and not disturb him. But what if, that wreck had been me? Would I have done differently if I knew my future? What if it had been me? What if today is my last?

When it's my time, will I be remembered as a person that cared, that took that moment to smile and show kindness? Frankly I'd rather be remembered as loving, caring, helpful, and friendly rather than always being on time or being efficient. If someone I care about doesn't know I care, I've been a failure. If a stranger that sees me everyday doesn't view me as friendly, happy and approachable, that doesn't speak well of me as a person.

I'm sure I am having these thoughts because we had the memorial service for John's father over the weekend. When he passed in January the weather was really bad and it was too dangerous to travel to the family cemetery in the mountains of East Tennessee, so we planned it for the last weekend in June. The weekend was bittersweet in that it was wonderful to get together with family and friends again, but it was another final goodbye too. Even knowing why I'm having these feelings, I still wonder "What If?"




What if this is my last chance to.....?

What about you?

Their going to the chapel and their gonna get married...

My brother's oldest daughter is getting married on Saturday. As the wedding is now just days away, I have been reflecting on life and all the changes we've seen in the 23 years since her birth. In 1985 my sister-in-law and I were both pregnant. She was due in March and I was due in April. Anne Marie was born on March 10 and then unexpectedly three days later our son, Aaron, was born a month early on March 13. Two of my cousins were also pregnant that year and their daughters were born that summer. Lots of new babies in the family that year.

Fast forward twenty three years, and we've had numerous life changes, both good and bad, in just the last two years.

My dad died February 24, 2006.
Our son was married March 3, 2007.
My nephew married June 2, 2007.
My cousins daughter was married June 30, 2007.
My nephew's new wife lost her brother in a motorcycle accident in July 2007.
John's dad passed in January of this year.

Thankfully, we are now back to a time of happy changes. Aaron and Lauren are expecting a baby and Anne Marie is getting married Saturday. I remember her so very well as a beautiful, angelic, mischievous towheaded little girl. One of my favorite memories is seeing her look so sweet while the grand kids played and had snacks at my parents house. She and Aaron looked like twins when they were little and have always been very close. On this occasion she leaned over and so sweetly hugged Aaron, but at the same time she reached over his shoulder and stole his Skittles. The sweet moment went quickly to a squabble. But their fusses never lasted very long and soon they were best buds again.

Annie's up coming marriage has allowed me to think of their childhood more than Aaron's wedding. With his marriage I was so busy getting ready, I didn't have much time for remembrance but I now I can take time to think and have enjoyed remembering their childhood and all the adventures they dreamed up on those Friday nights at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Anne Marie, may God bless you and Josh. I pray you will always be happy and just a bit mischievous. I love you dear.

Morning

One of my favorite things to do early in the morning before anyone else gets out of bed, is sit on the deck with a hot cup of coffee and listen to nature. I don't do this nearly often enough, but today is a holiday, so I took advantage of it and spent an hour or so in the cool morning air. The traffic sounds were thankfully muted and I could hear the birds singing and chirping. The chimes from a church in a near by town tolled the hour and beautiful tones filled the air.

I had my quite time while on the deck and decided I must make more opportunities to do this. There is something about being in nature while communing with the Creator.

I continued to sit there and think about life and how mine is changing. Our son and his wife are expecting their first baby. My husband and I have both lost our fathers. My dad died Feb 2006 and father-in-law passed this past January. Both our mothers now live alone. Birth, death, joy, pain, change, it's all part of life. We must cherish the times of joy, lean on God during the times of sorrow and pain and seek Him at all times.

Happy Memorial Day.