Walking yesterday, I felt gravity pulling my shoes down. It flowed through my body and I could feel the heavy weight of it. An invisible force always tugging towards the center of the earth, and it was in my feet. Every step heavier than the previous one. Every upward movement a battle. To lift my … Continue reading Gravity
Health
Where the Rubber Meets the Road
If you are a person of faith, difficult times, like the ones we are in, are where the rubber meets the road. It is a time where, what you say you believe and what you actually believe, come into conflict with one another. Reality hits you square between the eyes. When you lose your job, … Continue reading Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Heart for the Nations
My heart awakens the deep places within me. Never mind the foggy darkness outside my window. The heart never knows the time on a clock, only the times and seasons catch its attention. When it is awake, I pay attention no matter what the clock says. So, I am up, on my knees in the … Continue reading Heart for the Nations
Batten Down the Hatches
Prepare for a storm. Get ready. Equip yourself for trouble. The old 18th century nautical phrase, batten down the hatches, was coined when sailors, literally nailed battens (wooden rods) over tarps to prevent water from flooding into the hatch of a ship during a storm. It was a preventative measure to keep the ship from … Continue reading Batten Down the Hatches
The Greatest of These…
In my life, I have witnessed all the different kinds of love. Romantic love. Brotherly love. Self-love. In Greek, there are many words for love because they have a name for each kind. All of them are types of human love. I have also witnessed supernatural love. It is the kind that can only come … Continue reading The Greatest of These…
Dear Healthcare Provider (Guest Blog)
Recently, I wrote a blog about Mom's hospital stay. I wrote it from the perspective of a family caregiver and addressed it directly to the hospital. Now my sister Melinda, a nurse practitioner, has written a guest blog from the perspective of a healthcare provider to Healthcare Provider. She makes important points for all those … Continue reading Dear Healthcare Provider (Guest Blog)
Super Bowl Sunday
It seems that the stars have aligned this year. Super Bowl Sunday is on February 2nd, which happens to be Groundhog Day. However, in our house is also Bill’s Alive Day. In honor of this momentous day, I want to tell you a story. In 1988, I was just a young thing who woke to … Continue reading Super Bowl Sunday
Dear Hospital
Dear Hospital, You were created as a place of healing. You exist with a mandate to preserve life. Those who work within your walls are compassionate and desire to help others in the direst of circumstances. They bring health, comfort, and relief to the suffering who have been brought to you for assistance. It is … Continue reading Dear Hospital
A Solitary Path
Caregiving is a solitary path. Watching Dad take care of Mom and even helping him, I can see the toll it takes. She is dependent upon him. We went to a concert together and I saw her needing him. I was right there, but I am not Dad. She seemed to forget how to get … Continue reading A Solitary Path
Walking Them Home
I never rode a bus to school when I was a girl. I walked. It wasn’t 10 miles in the snow, uphill, both ways. No, nothing like that. It was a simple, mostly flat, couple of miles. Mom walked us to the corner every day. Then, most of the kids in our neighborhood, walked on … Continue reading Walking Them Home