Wednesday September 24 2015  ALAS, I AM NOT PERFECT

I am not perfect.  Never have been.  Never will be while on this earth.  But someday I will be perfect.  That will be the day I enter into heaven.  Until then, I will make mistakes, bad judgments, things won’t always go as I planned, but I will tell you one thing.  Even when those things happen I will try to remedy the mistakes, learn from them, make better judgment calls in the future, and try to plan more accordingly to what I am capable of doing.  Especially, now that I am aging.  I am like a toddler going backwards.  While a toddler is learning to walk he/she gets back up over and over and tries again.  Eventually, the child will learn to walk and go on to even greater achievements, little by little as they will test their boundaries and try new things.  Do they always make the best decisions?  Not really, but they keep at it until they can accomplish what they set out to do.  For them it might mean climbing on a chair, or greater heights, like the kitchen counter.  They keep on, keeping on.

As a “toddler going backwards” it means that there are things I’d like to do but no longer have the ability to do.  Do I just cave in and decide to quit?  No.  I keep on, keeping on, until the day comes when I can no longer accomplish what I set out to do.  I don’t let one misjudgment of time, or intensity of work, cause me to sit down and go no farther.  No, I press forward to see what I CAN do.  But someday the time will come when I may not ever again be able to climb as high as I used to, or walk as far as I used to. And that is when I slow my pace a bit.  Regardless of what I must give up along the way, I will keep pressing forward to ensure that I can no longer do it before I give up trying.  The toddler presses forward.  Old age hangs on to the tug of war rope for as long as possible until the opponent of time pulls them across the line.

Yes, yesterday was a bit helter skelter as far as amount of things I needed to accomplish and my timing limitations.  It happened in an unintended way.  And when things started mushrooming I decided I could muster what it took for the challenge, rather than let the day get the best of me.  And besides, what happened was really no big deal when I look at the scheme of what it means to my entire life.  So today I rested.  Well, at least for a while.

This day has been a blessed day.  A time to share with my friend as I hosted a luncheon for her and her friend.  Lana’s friend offered to give Lana a foot massage before lunch.  They went into the sun room for a time together as I prepared lunch.  Lana’s time here is so limited and today was planned so she could visit as many friends as possible.  When I found out Lana was coming I wanted this to be a pampering time for her.  Lana has been fighting breast cancer for several years and her cancer reared its head again a few months ago.  She has been working about 20 hours a week with therapies, both physical and nutritional to shrink the cancer marker numbers and the tumor.  The numbers are lowering and she can now have the surgery she needs.  Her numbers should be low enough by November for her mastectomy.  She has been under a lot of stress and pain.  Please pray for her total recovery.

Lunch was awesome (I will say no more) and afterwards I prepared for the open house that started at 3:00 p.m.  Lana had a wonderful turnout of friends, and once again had the opportunity to visit with those she loves.  We closed up shop at 7:00 p.m.  We had dinner and she is now tucked in bed as I sit and type at 9:51 p.m.  Dave is reading in the next room as he patiently waits to help me proof read this blog.

Though I have no great words of wisdom tonight I did ask one of Lana’s friends, Diane, what her wisdom is.  She quickly responded: “Enjoy your parents while they’re around.”

I thought this was very sound wisdom.  My parents are no longer living.  My father died when I was 17 years old and my mother died in 2010 at the age of 91.  There are times when I so wish I could call my mother for just one more time to talk.  One thing I know for certain, I will enjoy my children while I’m still around!  AND MY GRANDCHILDREN!!!  And even my granddogs!  I just truly hope that they will enjoy me.  You never get too old to desire being cherished.

A PARENT’S LOVE

By Kathleen Martens

September 24, 2015

A parent’s love for their newborn child

Is a love that never parts.

It only grows more each year

Deeper in their hearts.

Children grow and walk away,

Loving parents the best they can.

Only when they become mom or dad

Are they really able to understand.

It is then that they experience

How deep a parent’s love goes.

They see mom and dad with new eyes

Because now they really know.

The above poem was inspired by the words of wisdom from Diane.

Another short blog.  My husband is fortunate.  Not too much to proof.

God bless and keep you in your tomorrow.