Waiting Room

To the beautiful one with the shaved head…

To the one struggling to tie your shoes…

To the one in the wheelchair, but still cracking jokes…

You are not alone. Our mortality is seemingly more evident in these moments, but your vulnerability is shared. 

To the volunteer walking around shaking each hand and saying, “Good morning. God bless you.”…

To the phlebotomist with the victorious first stick…

To the sweet receptionist at the front door…

And to the one who rang the bell today with young daughters in tow…

Every time I leave this place, my perspective has shifted. Thankful for the light of encouragement, kindness, and even celebration in a place most would view as dark. 

Matt. 5:14

A Parable of Two Syrups

I have always tried to provide healthy foods for our family, but about a year and a half ago, realized the labels on some of our "healthier" snacks still included the words "CONTAINS BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENTS". Since that time, I have been very focused on ridding our pantry and fridge of anything with those words. There has been some grumbling from T and Marcus, but for the most part, we have found substitutes they have deemed palatable. The one sticky point (pun intended) has been pancake syrup. I have tried no less than three organic/non-GMO syrups, and T still insists they are not as good. My dad actually brought T some regular old pancake syrup a few weeks ago, and I have allowed it…haha. So the other day, I made some homemade pancakes (with non-GMO ingredients, of course😉), and set them out for T's breakfast. I also had two bottles of syrup there...one organic and, in his words, the "real syrup". I told him he had a choice-the one that presents as sweet and perfect, but actually contains fake ingredients that, over time, could be harmful to him, or the one that contains one pure ingredient, nothing artificial. Guess which one he picked? 😂 In the same way, we often face decisions with two seemingly sweet options.  Do we make choices based on the surface presentation? Why don’t we dig deeper, “read the labels”, and pick the healthier choice? Instead of conditioning ourselves to enjoy the better path, we tend to pick the easy, instant-gratification one, without thought of future consequences. Food for thought…pun intended again.

Grief is Anticipated: Mother’s Day

This is the holiday I have been dreading the most. Valentine's Day and Easter were difficult, but I just knew this one was going to hit me hard. A week or so before though, I received this invitation from our daughter:

So, I spent Friday night in a Zoom watercolor class with our three wonderful children. We were instructed on how to paint a particular grouping of tulips (my favorite flower). It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I have ever received, and definitely the most precious two/three hours I have enjoyed in a while. Am I talented like my Mama? Definitely not! Our kids though, show some signs of inheriting her gift. I plan to have all four of our "masterpieces" framed, and hopefully place them in a grouping with my Mama's tulip painting. The moments and the paintings are ones I will cherish for the rest of my life. Absolutely PRICELESS.

It is actually Mother's Day now, and it is rainy outside this morning. It is almost as if Heaven is crying with us. I know the weather is not about us, but when my heart is tender, I see His heart in everything. Today, I see His heart and my Mama’s through our dining room windows in the form of rain and canna lily blooms. 

I posted these words to FB around Mother’s Day three years ago:

"My parents' canna lilies were absolutely gorgeous last year, and I mentioned them almost every time I visited. Last fall, my mama dug up some of her bulbs and shared them with us. How fitting that this first bloom showed up in our yard this weekend. Throughout my life, she has gifted me with unconditional love, constant encouragement, and consistent prayer...all things meant to help me flourish in this life. So, while the bloom is beautiful, it means so much more to me today."

For every Mother's Day since 2022, these blooms have shown up. This year though, we have more blooms than ever before. And in between the front windows where the blooms are best viewed, I have this piece of my Mama's artwork:

So, while I grieve, I am thankful. While I cry, I still smile. While I hurt, I am comforted.