And we’re eating LOTS of Ice Cream! WOW! We scooted into Brenham, home of Blue Bell and the Texas Bluebonnet, yesterday and were greeted with miles and miles of Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes and our dear friends Norm, Sue, Brad and Betty.
My Mom........to her friends she’s known as Dorothy; to some she’s known as Dot; she’s Mamma to Lance, Jacque & Patty; and to Debbie, James and I she’s just Mom. If I were asked to describe & define my Mom to a stranger, I would probably use nouns such as soft, sacrificing, honest, caring, loving, strong, sometimes insecure, a bit shy and beautiful. She is all of these and more to me and you need to know that she is also one of my Best Friends.
Mom is an excellent bowler; she loves to fish with a cane pole; she’s nervous around water and she loves her grandchildren more than life; well, at least equal to her dog, Missy. She met my Dad in downtown Dallas in the 50’s and they married on what is now a Love Field Airport runway. She worked for years at Sears; not in the climate controlled retail stores, but in the hot warehouse assembly line so us kids could attend church school. She smuggled Dr. Pepper’s to me at boarding school and was the only family member that didn’t reject me when I pierced my ears. She never said “I told you so” when my first marriage ended in divorce. She just loved me.........unconditionally.
Mom is experiencing challenges right now in her life. She is not old, or at least I don’t consider 77 old, yet she is battling diseases that were meant for someone much older. Her battles include Parkinsons, Breast Cancer (survivor, I might add) and a little thing called Lewy Body Dementia. The Parkinsons is causing her to be unstable on her feet and fall a lot, which explains the broken hand she currently has. Nerve damage has set in and we are possibly looking at surgery the end of this week. The Breast Cancer appears to be under control for which we are thankful. The Lewy Body Dementia is her/our biggest battle right now. It is responsible for horrible nightmares, slowed movement, confusion, memory loss and the list continues on and on. If you’ve ever had a loved one travel through this twilight zone called dementia, you know what I’m talking about. I really can’t think of anything that has been more difficult in my life than to watch her go through this process. My 1st marriage/divorce to an alcoholic; learning I could never have children of my own; getting caught cheating on a Home Ec final cause I paid someone to make the dress for me; none of this compares to the pained heart I have for my Mom right now. She has had to give up her freedom of driving and going wherever and whenever she wants; she now has to rely on others for this. She has to use a walker now & we have threatened to velcro it to her hand so she doesn’t forget it. Some days are better than others and I have learned through this process that I can only look at today; not yesterday...not tomorrow....just today.
We know there is no cure for what Mom is experiencing. What we do know is that God has a purpose for Mom. Maybe it was to bring my brother, sister and I closer together, which it has; maybe it was to teach us all patience in a frustrating, helpless situation; maybe it was to teach us unconditional love; you know, the kind Mom gave us. I really don’t know why God allows these things to happen to His people. But what I do know is that HE knows and I trust in His decisions.
Please Say A Prayer For My Mom Tonight ...........
Yep, that’s me on the left.....I know, I know......where’d the brown hair come from? Truth is, where’d the BLOND hair come from?? It was either go blond or gray.....it’s in my genes (thanks Mom!) so I chose blond. Anyway, none of that is the point of this Blog......
What is the point is I stumbled upon these old VGA (Valley Grande Academy) pictures from 1978-1979 this past weekend and what a stroll down memory lane I’ve been having. I’ve enjoyed sharing these with my Facebook VGA Alums and hearing their hysterical laughter as they see themselves 30 years ago and remembering what fun we all had there. The lovely lady in the picture with me is Mara. I love this girl! I’ve been looking for her for years and I finally found her last month. She was such a special friend to me in high school and I had so much I needed to say to her and finally was able to. It means the world to me that I found her.
You either loved or hated your time at VGA. I happened to love my time there. The Christian boarding school was 3 miles from the border of Mexico in the Rio Grande Valley which opened up all kinds of doors for me to spread my wings and try everything I wasn’t suppose to. Here are just a few examples: My favorite is when I met this guy on a Southwest Airlines plane on my way back to school who was heading to Harlingen to go Skydiving (didn’t hurt that he was ADORABLE). I talked him into taking me, so I snuck off campus and went skydiving with him the next day. Or the time a friend and I decided it would be fun to sneak off campus and take a bus to Mexico City. Ya, I got caught, but it was still fun. I could never forget the time another friend and I thought it would be fun to sneak our boyfriends into the dorm and they, unfortunately, brought 30 other guys with them. These are just a few of the many wonderful memories. Have you noticed the common denominator between all of these stories?? I believe the word is “Sneaked”.....Fun, fun, fun.....
I thank the good Lord that Mom and Dad made the sacrifice to send us kids to church school (they’re probably wishing they hadn’t about now....) which ultimately made us into the people we are today. Thanks Mom & Dad!
I received an email the other day that really stopped me in my tracks. You may have received this email as well, but in case you didn’t, I wanted to share it with you because if you read it, and I mean REALLY read it, we can all see what truly matters in our lives. It is so very easy to get “caught up” in the troubles that are all around us right now; from the stock market to our elected officials to our health, and whatever is causing stress, discouragement, worry and anxiety in your life today. Print this off and keep it at your desk or in your car or taped to your computer screen. Let it remind us all what really matters........
Ready or Not, Some Day It Will All Come To An End.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.
So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,
Not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, forgiveness or
sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter are not your memories
but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to Live a Life That Matters.
Written by Michael Josephson
“Lord, we can get so bogged down in the busy-ness of life. Slow us down so we can spend more time BEING than DOING. We were created to BE in fellowship with You.”
Lee (on Twitter)
Well, we’re back from our little adventure on the road. We decided about a month ago to just “run away from home” for awhile. It’s been a stressful beginning of the year and we just needed to get away from everything and everyone. We loaded up Kruger the cat and Murphy the dog, along with the motorcycle, and headed East to Florida. We drove until we got tired or found a nice place to park the motorhome and stayed until we were ready to move on. We had no where to be or a certain time to be there. It was lovely!
We are now recharged........
“Lord, Your word is hope and peace. As Your beloved children,
may we rest between Your shoulders as You carry us (and our burdens).”
Lee (on Twitter)
Girlfriends.......It’s hard to imagine life without them.
Sometimes you just have to thank your Girlfriends. Thank you to my Girlfriends who remembered me and my “Challenging Week” over the past couple of weeks. Thank you for your prayers, your thoughts and your love. Your shared emotions meant the world to me.
I am blessed with wonderful Girlfriends. Girlfriends from my Bible Study group. Girlfriends I call when I want to go shopping. Girlfriends who like the same movies that I do. Girlfriends who are up for an adventure. Girlfriends who are just easy and fun to be around.
Even one Girlfriend is a gift of inestimable worth, and I am blessed with many. I only hope I can bless them half as much.
Thank you, Lord, for my Girlfriends.
Jewel......the lovely lady in the picture above is one of the neatest, sweetest, most incredible ladies I have ever had the privilege to meet. She is 102 years old, lives on her own, still works her garden, and always has that sweet smile you see above on her face. I have never once heard her complain about anything and she has been gracious enough to share her special family with me. Did I mention she has a wit about her too?
It is not uncommon for me to find her and her daughter, Jo (they call her “Sarge” cause they say she rules with a firm hand, but in reality, she is a softie!), in the living room starting on yet another quilt for a lucky family member. Or find her and her son, WB, playing dominos on the kitchen table. Her health is good, her attitude even better, and she raised a family that takes care of their Mom. There are no words to describe the love they all feel for their Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and Great-Great-Grandmother. She was married many, many, many years and still gets a gleem in her eye when she speaks of the Love of Her Life. I know she must miss him terribly, but I’ve never seen her sad because, I believe, she knows she will once again be with him.
I hope for my sake that its a long time from now.
Thanks Jewel, for being such a jewel in my life....
you are so very loved!
Meals on Wheels. I’m sure everyone’s heard of it; probably been curious about it and probably thought of it as something they would do once they turn 65, retire and have nothing better to do. Right? Well, I’m not 65, not retired and have a full day, every day. And this is the most important thing I do each month. It’s been, hands down, one of the most satisfying, spiritual, rewarding things I’ve ever done. I’ll let you in on a very well kept secret about Meals on Wheels........it’s not about the food. Yes, the food is necessary & important to these kind folks, but more important than the food, is the visit. And I’m not talking about for them.......for ME!
I deliver meals to the west quadrant of Winnsboro, Texas, just a 20 minute drive down the country roads of East Texas from my home. I meet up with some wonderful volunteers who have their own routes and busy schedules, yet find time to give back to their community.
They, like me, enjoy the benefits that come from getting to know
these wonderful, mostly homebound, adorable people. Each one
is so unique and special in their own way that I want to share them
with you. Don’t get too excited; you can’t have them; they’re mine;
but I believe you could be as blessed as I am by getting a glimpse
into their lives.
The two guys in the picture to the right are my favorite volunteers. Always smiling, joking, laughing; they have true joy in their hearts. They are always quick with a hug and a helping hand out to my car with the food. I don’t know much about them personally; but I don’t really need to. I know enough.
The happy lady to the right is Tina. She is the heart that keeps the
Meals on Wheels beating in Winnsboro. She makes sure the food
is ready, volunteers in place and that everyone gets a meal. If a
volunteer doesn’t show up or is unable to, she delivers that route
herself. She has brought new life to the Winnsboro Senior Center.
Something you need to know about Tina; she carries around an
“aura” about her that draws people to her. She loves the Lord with
all her heart and it shows. She has lived more life at her young age
than most people have who live to be 90, and came out better
because of it. She is a special person and has made my life better by
knowing her.
This Blog is not meant to be a commercial for Meals on Wheels. But it is meant to encourage you all to volunteer at something......to give a little of yourself in your busy little worlds to someone who would give their right arm for a busy little world.
I promise; you will be better for it.
“Lord, you made us as a gift for Yourself. Until we settle that truth in our hearts, our souls will be restless and aimless. It’s not all about me......it’s all about You.”
Lee (on Twitter)
“Challenging”......the dictionary definition goes something like this, “demanding, testing, taxing, exacting; difficult, tough, hard, formidable, onerous, arduous, strenuous, grueling; uninspiring.” Wow, my week fit most of those definitions.
Without going into detail, just know this was one of those weeks that challenged me in many different ways: patience, forgiveness, regrets, understanding, friendships and family. Yep, all of these and more. I have been cut deep to the core of my soul this week by someone who I considered not just family, but a friend. Someone who I thought my relationship with was strong enough that a phone call to me would have resolved her concerns and allowed me to explain what really happened. Someone who I considered a good person and not someone that spread untruths to people near and dear to me. I’m so deeply disappointed that there are no words to express it.
I’ve struggled with how best to handle this. I have prayed long and hard daily about this. I have wrestled with forgiveness and with understanding. I’ve lost sleep over this. What is one to do that has been accused, judged and punished wrongly? Is it best to not try and defend myself but rather let God do so on my behalf, at his own time? I think so.
“Lord, may our hearts kneel at your feet pouring our desperate needs to you; for you always respond to the broken and contrite heart.”
Lee (on Twitter)
It’s hard to use words to describe the lovely lady in the picture. She hasn’t always traveled the easiest roads; and she hasn’t always been lucky in love. She has had to depend on herself when others let her down and has worked hard her entire life. But you would never know any of these things if you met her. You would see a charming, beautiful, energetic lady who never stops laughing; who has a constant smile on her face like the one you see above. Her heart is made of gold; probably put there by my Grandmother who spent many of her years panning for gold in the family creek. She has many of the same characteristics that I remember about my godly grandmother. She would give a perfect stranger the last thing she owns cause, you see, it wouldn’t occur to her not to. This is her character. This is who she is.
Ant Ellie never had children. We’ve never talked much about why, but I would guess that while growing up, she never visualized her life without children, much like I never imagined myself not having children of my own. But it wasn’t her destiny to have children. It is, however, her destiny to be the cool Ant that all the kids adore; the Ant that will ride the roller coaster with them at the age of 65 when their parents wouldn’t dare get on it; the Ant the kids can talk to about anything and know she will love them unconditionally. The one the kids, who are now adults, can turn to for support and a shoulder to cry on when their own parents’ health is failing. Her arms are always open just like her heart and I love her so very much. There is not a better Ant out there and I thank God every day for letting her be my Ant Ellie. Everyone should be so fortunate! And did I mention she loves to shop at Goodwill? She’s SO cool!
You may think I misspelled “Ant” above, but you’d be wrong. It’s a family joke. My beautiful niece, God love her, has always spelled it that way and Ant Ellie always got the biggest laugh out of that, so who were we to change it??!
God doesn’t give you the people you WANT,
He gives you the people you NEED -
To help you, to hurt you,
to leave you, to love you
and to make you into the person
you were meant to be.
“Lord, thank you for providing the constant in my life called Ant Ellie. I am certainly not worthy of this treasure.”
Liz
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