She died in the wee hours of the morning this past Wednesday—no hospital, no doctors, no nurses. Having experienced bad health for many years, my precious mama’s little body couldn’t take anymore. She died on her own terms, and did so with dignity and grace. In the past, mom’s expressed two wishes when it came …
One of the most difficult tasks adult children contend with concerning elderly parents is taking away their car keys. Imagine having to be the bad guy and “muscle in” on their independence. I’m the baby in the family so I definitely didn’t want to be the one to do it. That job would clearly fall …
Going straight home from work is typically no longer an option. I love getting into my warm pj’s and curling up on my couch at the end of a long, stressful day, but there’s an important stop I usually like making before heading home. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. …
Our family meeting was held the afternoon of December 25, 2020. We’d never had a family meeting before. It was the day that forever changed our lives. Once my dad shared with us he needed extra help, he allowed full access to everything—no reservations. I can sum it up in six words: HE-MADE-IT-EASY-FOR-US. For clarity, …
I had it all planned out. My day off—the last day of 2021. After leaving work the previous day on a rainy afternoon, I went by the drugstore to pick up my mom and dad’s meds. I even decided to brave the grocery store to get a few things my mom asked me to get …
My husband and I married one year after I graduated high school. He was ten years older than me but he absolutely swept me off my feet. Our first date was attending his ten-year high school reunion which seemed pretty serious to me from the get-go. When I was nineteen, we took those “old fashioned” …
It was difficult living so far from our daughter and son-in-law. Tiffany and Bill lived in Sierra Vista, Arizona with their three girls, two of whom are adopted. We visited regularly the entire two years they lived there. Whether we drove or flew, it was worth every penny, every mile, every time. Sierra Vista is situated …
For this post, I have to go back in time a minute or two. Okay...twenty-three years to be exact. What an exhilarating day that was, and this wasn’t even the day we received our awesome Christmas gift either! That will come much later, but I will do my best to keep this post short and …
It was mid-September, 2016 and we were enjoying our short stay with our daughter and her family. We felt like Arizona USA was our second home. I believe my husband would move there today if we didn’t have close family in South Carolina and Georgia. Our daughter Tiffany and her husband Bill planned a day …
“I doubt that very seriously Honey, but thanks for calling to let me know...” So there I was...laying on my daughter’s living room floor nearly 2000 miles from home. My phone was “silent” on the floor beside me. My Apple Watch alerted me of the incoming call. It was my doctor’s office in South Carolina. …
It was September 8, 2016, and excitement started building in my very being. It had been quite some time since I was excited about anything, so it felt strangely foreign to me. With a very important flight planned to Arizona USA just ten days away, it was difficult not to be excited. You see? My …
Since I was typically a healthy person, I had never googled anything as far as my health was concerned. Before June of 2016, there was no need to do this. I always imagined if I did, I would certainly be six feet under in a matter of days. I would eventually toss that thought aside. Curiosity …
For this post, I need to take a quick trip back to my high school days. If any of my high school friends are reading this, don’t worry...I won’t tell on us! This quick trip immediately brings to mind that great divide between the popular kids and unpopular ones. I personally hung out with a …
I do not recall all the intricate details of this pivotal day in September 2016. I do remember the critical events that led me to the moment that gave me a small glimmer of hope. A shimmering light in the distance was God’s answer to my prayer. *** I also vividly recall the never-ending pain! …
I love rainy days! I get that from my sweet mama! It is so relaxing sitting on my back porch listening to the sound of the rain aimlessly falling from the sky. Hurricane Florence has been downgraded to a tropical storm for South Carolina, so I am also enjoying hearing the rustling leaves on the …
It was a chilly morning just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, 2004. We were standing at the ticket counter at our local metropolitan airport. There was no one beside, or behind us. My son was a junior in high school. He was flying to Washington, D.C. for a leadership conference being held in our nation’s …
Continue reading "“Love Is Not a Feeling…Love Is Action” (Part II)"
INTERVIEW WITH A JRA WARRIOR Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis ~ A type of arthritis that causes joint inflammation and stiffness for more than six weeks in children aged sixteen years or younger. It affects approximately 50,000 in the United States alone. I have been looking forward to introducing sweet Emily! She is my niece and is …
My Alternate Universe 