My grandmother prayed every day for her wayward son, my father, from the day he ran away from home as a young teen until the day she died at age 90. My mother also prayed for my father every day of her sad marriage/separation until the day she died at age 55. I prayed for…
Happy Valentines!
Like the past several Valentines, our friends’ day won’t be chocolates and flowers. It’ll be pain pills and the flowers may have to wait for her funeral. Here is the story of a couple we have known for four decades. For years, the wife’s mind has been deteriorating with dementia and her devoted husband took…
Hand in Hand
Ah, Valentines! That romantic (or daunting) holiday on which so much seems to hinge. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about hand holding. Not limited to couples hand holding, mind you, although that is part of it. I’ve been thinking about the times I’ve wished that someone was beside me to walk me through something…
One Year Anniversary
The 25th of January is a milestone date for us. It’s our oldest son’s birthday and our one year anniversary of living in our little house that Husband built. Last year we enjoyed a birthday dinner for our son at our favorite local Chinese restaurant with the part of our family who live in our…
How to Be Happier in 2018 Part 2
Our youngest son’s wife saw a need in our family. She sensed that one of her husband’s sisters, our daughter, was in need of coming home and being loved on. She initiated a plan to get her sister-in-law and family here from 3/4 of a continent away. She arranged for tickets, offered her own home…
After Christmas Re-Do
After the busyness of the holiday season, it’s time to pull back and regroup. For me, that means decluttering, then putting out a few white accessories mixed with plants and wood pieces to calm my space and my brain. I think white is soothing. (As long as it isn’t rugs or sofas! I could never…