Living Life and Moving on...

Restful river time at the cabin.

       I'm so glad we have that wonderful memory of seeing my Dad, along with all my siblings, on the way home in April. A few weeks after that he fell and broke his hip, and with one thing following another, his health rapidly declined and he passed peacefully into the arms of his Savior on June 6th. My predominant thoughts following this were thankfulness for so many things. Thankful that he's no longer in pain, that his passing was calm, and that one day I'll see him again. I'm also very thankful that I have family to help process this loss, to share the grief, to celebrate his life and what he taught us, and to let him go and move on.
      The Memorial we had in July was really good; very satisfying and a good closure. All four kids were there, all eleven grand kids, and many great grand kids were there. The service was honoring in a healthy way. He wasn't perfect, but he had a Perfect Savior whom he loved and trusted and is now in His presence. That gives us all hope. We don't have to be perfect to be loved or used by God. Dad taught us many things, some not so good, some great. I choose to focus on the good stuff learned and trust in the Lord to help unlearn the others. Even in the unlearning, there are such good lessons! One of them is learning to grab the wisdom from the experiences and move on.

Holding my new granddaughter Bethany Grace.

     The very next day after he passed, my 5th grandchild arrived, 16 days past her due day, but apparently right on time. Bethany Grace arrived on June 7th, 7 minutes before the 11th hour. So very interesting! What an amazing cycle of life to lose someone of one generation while gaining one of another! Those six days I stayed with them went by way too fast, keeping the older kids busy with cooking, crafting with felt and taking walks.
     I had expected to stay a little longer with them, but I learned my sisters needed to get Dad's room cleared out and I wanted to be there. We were able to stay in the Guest Rooms at Turner Retirement Home for a few days while we worked on that project. These rooms were part of the original building built in the late 1880s. What a charming Bed & Breakfast stay, and a relief to be so close so I could work in spurts. Sorting through the last of his stuff was both meaningful and difficult. But I was thankful for the opportunity as it helped me to process through the loss. There were a few special things I was able to bring back with me. One of which was his baritone ukulele. I plan to take it with me South this winter and learn how to play it. It's a lovely instrument that Dad used when he played with the Oldtime Fiddlers group. Closing this chapter and moving on.

     We had a few more days of visiting relatives, then we headed farther south to the family cabin for the Annual Meeting. The memories of grandparents and parents was very strong there, but it was still restful and refreshing there. I think much of that has to do with the river and the constant, soothing background sound of the water over the rocks. The Club very kindly gave us a Rhododendron in honor of Dad and shared fond memories of his involvement there. It was touching.
      I was very glad to finally return home after sleeping in four different beds over the 10 day period. There's nothing like being away to help you really appreciate being back home! You might wonder why we didn't take the motorhome so we could have our home with us. There are a few reasons, but most of all, it's just simpler and less expensive to leave it parked. The minivan that stays here in the winter, is a great travel vehicle for summers to visit family and the cabin where we can sleep inside.
     All of a sudden, we realized that our departure date is barely 2 months away! So we are switching gears, trying to figure out how to fit everything in that we want and need to do before we leave again mid October. More moving on, although there will be a return.
    Life is full of moving on. So we live each day as it comes, learning to walk more in step with Jesus, getting filled up with His love and giving it out to others. Life is good.