Thanks so much and Happy New Year to you and yours! It's humbling to think, sometimes, how many years I've had to "get it right" but still struggle with some pretty basic things. And then I look around me and see others who have faced real adversity, over a period of years, and have performed through it all with great courage and compassion.
I'm thinking of my sister-in-law, back in PA, whose husband, my step-brother, became a quadriplegic in a workplace accident 20 years ago this month. She quit her job, raised their daughter, and provided for his daily care. Along the way, she coped with other adversities such as his addiction to pain meds, which she helped him overcome, and a stint in state prison which, remarkably and tragically, he managed to earn as a result of another poor choice of his.
He died this year on Christmas Day but, two days before that, told her that he'd seen the living presence of God. Actually, I would've thought that he'd seen it many times, as he looked into her eyes. And, in that sense, I guess he probably did because, through it all, they were steadfast in their love for each other.
Then I consider my own life and the wonderful grandson, who has always been a blessing rather than a burden, wonder at my own shortsightedness and ingratitude, and know that somehow I've got to do better. On second thought, I'm going to back off from the New Year's resolution approach, take our life here a minute at a time, and hit the "reset" button the instant I sense things going awry.
Surely he deserves that and, for what he's given me, the unconditional love of a child, I'll owe him that until my own last breath. And sorry about the rant, my first of the New Year. I'm thinking about a resolution to not do that, LOL...
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I'm thinking of my sister-in-law, back in PA, whose husband, my step-brother, became a quadriplegic in a workplace accident 20 years ago this month. She quit her job, raised their daughter, and provided for his daily care. Along the way, she coped with other adversities such as his addiction to pain meds, which she helped him overcome, and a stint in state prison which, remarkably and tragically, he managed to earn as a result of another poor choice of his.
He died this year on Christmas Day but, two days before that, told her that he'd seen the living presence of God. Actually, I would've thought that he'd seen it many times, as he looked into her eyes. And, in that sense, I guess he probably did because, through it all, they were steadfast in their love for each other.
Then I consider my own life and the wonderful grandson, who has always been a blessing rather than a burden, wonder at my own shortsightedness and ingratitude, and know that somehow I've got to do better. On second thought, I'm going to back off from the New Year's resolution approach, take our life here a minute at a time, and hit the "reset" button the instant I sense things going awry.
Surely he deserves that and, for what he's given me, the unconditional love of a child, I'll owe him that until my own last breath. And sorry about the rant, my first of the New Year. I'm thinking about a resolution to not do that, LOL...