Time flies. The older I get the faster it goes by. I think I really notice it when I have a few days off from work to spend with my family. You try to rest, relax and get everything you need done in a matter of days and before you know it, it’s Sunday night and Monday is looming.
Another thing about time is that as each day passes, my children are experiencing more and more and growing into some pretty amazing young boys/men. You often have a landmark in a year that makes you think back to “one year ago” or “five years ago” and when you realize all that has happened in that amount of time, it can be pretty overwhelming.
Today is one of those days. One year ago today, my dear mother-in-law, Ruby, passed away unexpectedly. I’ve caught myself time and time again wanting to give her a call to tell her the latest with my boys, or just share something silly that one of them said that day.
It is painful to lose someone close to you. It also hurts to see others around you grieve that loss. Some family members keep their grief close, some express their grief through talking and crying, others even express their grief by completely shutting down and staying stuck. I’ve come to learn that all you can do is meet those folks where they are at in the process of grieving and be there for them.
There is a time for all of us to live the fullest life possible, to grieve, to invest in others and yes, even a time to die. But what we need to remember is that God will never leave us. We need to take each day and live the best life we can live. That is what Ruby did. Every day was a gift to her. I don’t think a day went by without her giving us a call to check on us and tell us she loved us. She lived a very full life. She loved well and was loved in return and she knew her God.
Today I Am Thankful for:
- Routine
- A beautiful, cold New Mexico day
- Sweat pants
- An afternoon of riding horses
- Memories of Ruby
