Hello my friends. I know I have been amiss in faithfully writing on here. I have no excuse. I can tell you that I am still processing some heavy things and trying to understand what they all mean.
Many of you know, my parents health isn’t the best and in fact my mom is dying of Alzheimers. It is a very slow process that seems to have suddenly quickened recently. Watching this decline has been hard, and even harder to watch its affect on my dad who has loved and been married to my mom for almost 63 years. The toll on him has been heavy. At least my mom seems to be unaware of how far she has declined, although she does express at times feeling discombobulated.
Recently I had a wonderful gift of time with my parents. My eldest daughter, Lisa, brought her youngest daughter up to meet my parents. My mom perked up, became quite animated and joyful. She was striving to be as engaged as she could be. When we left to go to the hotel for the baby to have a nap, my mom even articulated that it was a Happy Day. This was HUGE!! My mom hasn’t expressed feelings like that in a very long time. I enjoyed watching my mom laugh again, it had been over a year since I heard her really laugh, and she was all smiles.
Of course she tired easily, but the gift of that day will stay with me forever. It was a pure joy to watch her engage with the baby and come alive again. The next day, we stopped in on our way to the airport and dad also commented on how the day before had been a treasure. Too often we get caught up in our busy days that are just filled with activity, but fail to stop and just appreciate the moments that can’t be re- lived or even notice the specialness of that time.
I am processing the meaning of life and even death. I am thinking about the cycle of life. I am aware that the day is coming when I will be an orphan on this earth and can’t imagine what my life will be like. I have only ever known life with my parents in it. I am blessed to have had them this long. So many don’t. Because of the situation my parents are in, it has caused me to be more intentional with my time with them. I even call them with FaceTime to see their faces when I talk to them. I find myself thinking, will this be the last time I see them?talk to them.? I make a point of telling them I love you- each time I do see them, or talk to them. I look at them with the intention of trying to memorize the moments I am with them. I don’t know how much time I still have with them, but I intend to enjoy them as long as I can.
Recently we became aware of my sister in law’s health being very fragile and that she could die at any point as well. Life is so fleeting, and it goes by so fast, please take the time to really focus on enjoying where you are now in your life. Tell those you love that you love them, give them the gift of your time, and your attention. You never know what tomorrow will bring and everything can change in a blink of an eye.
Yes, we all have busy lives, we have demands on our time, many distractions that vie for our attention and time. Be conscience of those choices. Don’t have regrets of not using your time better, more wisely.
Enjoy your loved ones, enjoy the laughter, enjoy the pure exhilaration of being alive. Treasure the moments you are alive, and are with those you love. You don’t know how long you will have those you love, nor how much longer you have to live. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone as the Bible says. So make today count.
Let your life be an impact on the people you care about and give them something to talk about with their children when they remember you. Let them share of how you loved well, and were a good listener, or helper, or teacher. Let them laugh at all the fun memories. You will live on in their memories long after you are gone. Give them good memories, and give yourself the gift of having good memories of those who will go before you.