Learning to walk again

My mother did hospice work in her younger years. She would still be doing it now if it wasn't for the fact it was so physically demanding. To care for someone's every need in the most dire time of their lives is a true calling. To be able to sit next to someone and watch them slowing slip away is more than most of us could bare. All the while helping extended families with the transition. I honor my mother for her gift.

There are caretakers who didn't ask for that job, nor do they get paid for it. Instead they selflessly took it upon themselves to be that angel in waiting for the person they love so deeply. My mother got help, she would work in shifts. That is not always the case for those thrown into a situation where there was not much of a choice.

My dear friend was one of the caretakers. She made the tough decision to leave here family here in Portland to spend the last six months with her dying father. She was everything for him. His nurse, his cook. Personal housekeeper, chauffeur. His confidant and friend. It was an all consuming 24/7 job. With very few breaks from the never ending demands that come with someone that is very ill. She thought of nothing else but making sure his last days were the best that they could be.

I was talking to God the other morning about her, how hard it must be to come back to the normal routine of things. I felt him say, its like learning to walk all over again. That made me ponder.

To watch a toddler learn to walk and titter and sway and promptly fall on their well diapered tush. They do it one step at a time.

My friend is learning to walk again one step at a time. She is walking once again as a mother with all the crazy scheduling that means when you have two very active girls. She is learning once again how walk as a wife since she is no longer the 24/7 caretaker she was just a few short weeks ago. She is walking into friendships once again not forgotten ones just ones that are picking up where they left off.

How hard it must be to take one step at a time back into life here without daddy.

I honor my dear friend for her courage and grace. She once again is a true inspiration to me as she is learning to walk again.

another day

Today is another day. Another good day. I went to write something down yesterday the first day of the year. And all I could write was that it was a good day. I thought I can't write that and only that, how dumb. But nothing else would come.

The first day of the New Year was just a good day
Spent a wonderful time with the Lord in my devotional time with him. Was blessed by how and what he spoke to me.

Got stuff done around my place.
Took a nap
Cleaned out my in box for all my e-mails.
Bake something....it didn't turn out but that's ok.

It was not a history making day. Nothing overwhelming happened, but there was such a sense of satisfaction, such a sense of well being. Such a peace.

The first day of this New Year was just a good day