Ever
had a week you thought would never end?
Well,
that's been the way the past seven days have been for us.
One...
Boo
is miserable with a cold. Just a cold. Still, what's “just a
cold” for most of us affects Boo quite differently. His blood
sugar is more difficult to control and he's more confused than usual,
especially in the evenings. Boo's less conscious of his left side
(the side most affected by his strokes) and is more unsteady. He's
getting better daily, but it has been a difficult week.
Two...
The
weather is cold and dreary. Definitely appropriate weather to be
sick. But I don't like cold and dreary when I'm not feeling well. I
want bright, sunny days to lift me out of my funk. I explained this
carefully to God. It seems He has other plans. (Maybe that He has
everything under control...even the weather. Maybe that I need to
look beyond outward appearances to the heart of the matter...)
Three...
One
of my favorite uncles died around noon Tuesday, January eighth. He
went Home to be with God.
Uncle
Everette knew how to make me feel special and loved even as a shy,
awkward, skinny, bespectacled child. Whenever we stopped at his Esso
service station, I got to choose any snack I wanted from his vast
selection (at least it seemed like a vast selection back then.)
Then, I got to choose any soft drink from his cooler. Remember those
coolers like chest freezers filled with glass bottles? On hot summer
days before air conditioning, the cool blast of air from the soft
drink cooler was a real treat...and it made my glasses foggy. Uncle
Everette would override my parents' objections every time and my
sister and I always got our treat.
Four...
One
of my favorite memories of Uncle Everette was his ability to pay
attention to only good things. As a child, he “caught” my sister
and I doing good things and commented on them.
During
WWII his hearing was damaged. I remember Aunt Cherrie fussing about
a minor issue one day and Uncle Everette sitting in his easy chair in
the next room smiling and completely undisturbed. He'd turned off
his hearing aid! She quickly figured out that he wasn't responding
and promptly demanded that he turn on his hearing aid. This
obviously had happened before. “Now Cherrie, I don't need to hear
all that. I know you love me.” She sputtered a while, but calmed
down.
That
was one of Uncle Everette's gifts...the ability to focus on what was
good, what was important. I need to practice the art of focusing on
what's important and ignoring or letting go of the unimportant.
Five...
Yesterday
about noon one of my childhood friends, Kim, for whom I've begged
prayers also went Home to be with Jesus.
Kim
bravely battled breast, brain and spinal cancer. More importantly,
she remained steadfast in her faith, remained compassionate, loving
and giving. She kept her focus on what was truly important. There's
so much I'd like to say, but I just can't yet. This grief is still
too new, too raw.
Six...
When
I told Mother about Kim's peaceful Homegoing we talked about various
memories. One especially precious memory was of the day Kim accepted
Christ in the small church my father pastored. In the Protestant
tradition in which I was raised, an altar call is given and one walks
down the aisle, accepts Christ, is baptized and joins the local
church. The day Kim “walked down the aisle,” her tall, long
legged father was so excited that he literally jumped over pews to
get to his daughter. It was the only time I remember my father open
mouthed and speechless in church.
The
decision Kim made that day, she continued to live. Hers was a
luminous, growing faith.
Seven...
Boo
is obviously feeling better this evening. He's attempting to teach
Boudreaux a “cat in the bag” trick. I'm not sure what the
purpose of this trick is, but Boudreaux loves
paper bags and boxes. So, Boudreaux is fully cooperating and jumping
in the bag at every opportunity. Currently the green gift bag
they're using is a shambles. Perhaps I should find another paper bag
for my two men.
Sitting here with you in raw grief. An online friend passed today and he had been as good a friend to me online as if he had been in my daily life.
ReplyDeleteVery sorry for the loss of your uncle, and friend. Praying for Boo to feel much better.
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