Season of Thanks

Praise the Lord, Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, His love endures forever. -Psalm 106:1

I give thanks that God has surrounded me with my loves!
     They arrive on wings of love and prayer. They lift our spirits, give us strength beyond measure and infuse some much needed normalcy into our lives.
     They come bearing award-winning chili recipes and smoked briskets; chocolates and Swedish Fish; snugly slippers and crafts galore...they appear with gifts to buoy our spirits and make us smile and laugh.

                       Most of all - they show up with big hugs, big tears and big love.
                       Their singular goal is to wrap us in their arms and love us 
                       through the days they spend with us.

     I fight the frustration of not being the hostess I once was. Instead, allowing others to give us the gift of serving us has been the most humbling of experiences. My fierce independent and stubborn streak have been overruled and I am learning how to accept gifts of service and love gratefully and gracefully (not always so gracefully).

     My loves are extraordinarily patient with me, knowing just how challenging this is. They allow me to do what I can and aren't afraid to tell me when they feel that I'm on the verge of over-doing it. They urge me to rest and I've begun listening to them and to my body - resting more.

     We endeavor to capture our time together with photos and videos - trying not to miss any moments - we smile and laugh and hope to emblazon these precious times on our hearts and in our memories.

     We often discuss the hard topics and share a box of Kleenex while we share our hearts. Often, we are not certain how to express what is on our hearts, so we choose laughter over tears.

     Each departure day leaves a hole in our hearts and our home. We long for the time we can be together again - never saying goodbye...instead, leaving one another with "I will see you soon..."

Blessings,
Mandy