My son came over this afternoon to talk over some decisions that he is trying to make. We sat on the porch to keep our 6′ distance. My parents stayed outside for quite a while and went in when it got too chilly. But I continued to chat with him another hour or so. It was great to see him and for us both to have the flexibility to just sit outside and talk a while when he needed it.
I Found God today visiting with my son.
My sisters, son, and some friends like to go to the group painting classes for a fun event. My mom has mentioned that she would like to try it, but I thought it would be a bit overwhelming for her. They have been closed now, like most businesses. However, last week, I saw an ad for a virtual class to do online for Mother’s Day and people could join in from all over. I invited the family and had supply kits sent out. So today, I, my mom, my son, my daughter-in-law and a grandson, my sister and her son and girlfriend all joined in the Zoom painting event. The class was run so well by the instructor that my mom could keep up and follow along with no problem. I chatted with the family during the class and we shared photos of our pictures. We all had so much fun celebrating Mother’s Day this way.
I Found God today participating in a fun virtual event with far away family.
This morning, my mom and I combined 2 of the bouquets she has received into 1 as we removed flowers that were past their peak. Once we finished, we placed the vase on the dining room table and admired it. Then the doorbell rang. It was a delivery of another beautiful bouquet for my mom for Mother’s Day. We placed it in the empty spot we had left on the living room table. We are really enjoying the beauty and fragrance of the flowers and it seems we will continue to do so for a while longer.
I Found God today in even more beautiful flowers.
I planned on making cookies yesterday, so decided to make a double batch. I made several packages to share with the people in my prayer group. I texted them this morning and told them I would drop them off. When I arrived at each home, I put the package by their door, rang the doorbell and backed up. I chatted a bit with everyone. We have been meeting via Zoom for the past two months and will continue to do so. It isn’t being together in person, but it works. Everyone was so happy to have the cookies and to be able to chat a bit in real life.
I Found God today in smiling friends.
Today my mom had a Zoom meeting with some instructors and participants from her Parkinson’s exercise class. One of the student interns who help with the program gave a presentation on the research she had done. Her topic was the importance of having a physical person lead an exercise class as opposed to watching it on a screen. She said she had been involved in elder care for over 10 years, which seemed hard to believe as she seems pretty young to me. In any case, her presentation was informative and interesting. But what really grabbed my attention was her passion. She talked about how doing the research along with all the work she has done with the elderly made her realize just how important it is to her that the people have a desire to care for themselves and have the best access to do so. I was very moved by her ambition and compassion for the elderly.
I Found God today in a young woman committed to caring for the elderly.
Tonight I talked with some friends who the husband had battled cancer over the past year or so. He has been doing very well recently and his cancer is gone at this time. They said that an unexpected blessing through it all was the closer relationship they have as a family. They speak to their grown children and families on a regular basis now. They said that they were friendly before and got together every so often. But now they show love to one another that is very different. Their relationship was pushed into a whole new level. We also talked about how the “Stay at Home” order and all the social distancing has had the same affect on other families and communities. I know I really enjoy the weekly Zoom sessions we have with our whole family. God certainly can create good things in horrible situations if we have the eyes to see and the heart to accept.
I Found Got today in unexpected blessings.
My dad and I went out and about today. The first stop was to get his hearing aids adjusted. We both put on our masks before entering the building. Thankfully, there were not too many people in the facility so we didn’t worry about sharing elevator space. A man asked the screening questions and took our temperatures before we entered the office. He was telling another gentleman that he needed to have some kind of face covering to go in, but he didn’t seem to have anything. Eventually, he came in wearing a mask. I supposed the office gave him one. There were not many people inside the office either so seating was not an issue. The doctor fixed up the hearing aids in no time and we were on our way to pick up an order. As we waited in the car, we watched people coming and going. There was a young man not wearing a mask and touching his face constantly. We saw a dad who was wearing a mask, but his 2 boys were not. A woman came out of a building with a mask on, took it off to smoke a cigarette, and put it back on when she was done. Many people got out of their cars with their mask on to pick up their orders that were outside, but a few did not. It was interesting just watching what others were doing. Even though it is strange and different to think about, I was glad that my dad and I were as prepared as could be. My dad said the face masks are just part of the new uniform now.
I Found God today being prepared to go out.
We love going to the local zoo. Usually we will try to go for my mom’s birthday or Mother’s Day. But, like most businesses that gather lots of people, the zoo is closed right now. Last week while we were chatting with my mom’s Parkinson’s exercise class, someone said they had been watching videos that the zoo had been sharing. My mom and I got on their website and found that they were also offering virtual animal encounters. I booked an encounter with the tiger to help my mom celebrate her birthday. My parents, brother, and I along with our other family members all joined in on the Webex session today, excited for the adventure. My brother got the picture on the big TV and once we got the sound worked out we had a great time. The zoo keeper was right along the fence and coaxed the tiger through some behaviors such as showing her teeth and paws, and standing up. When the animal did what was being asked of her, she was rewarded with some meat. It was especially amusing to watch the tiger wander away out of sight, then sneak up on the keeper and pounce on the fence. She looked like she was having a lot of fun. While we are unable to do the things we would like to do right now, this kind of encounter is something we would never have been able to do before. My mom very much enjoyed her special surprise. It was personal, informative, and wildly entertaining.
I Found God today enjoying a personal animal encounter.
Today was my mom’s birthday. We decided to get her the geranium she always loves to put on the front porch. While I was at our favorite greenhouse, I purchased some annuals to plant in the two large pots by the outside steps. So, we got the front entrance all fixed up and looking ready for Spring. Later in the morning, my mom received a beautiful calla lily plant from my brother. Then she received 2 bouquets – one from each sister. We still had a few flowers remaining from previous bouquets, so my parents house looks like a greenhouse itself. It certainly brightens the mood and was a lovely way to celebrate my mom.
I Found God today in beautiful flowers.
My dad received about 25 cards from the neighbors living in their development. He was very touched by all the kind notes that were included and wanted to thank each person. So, he decided to write a thank you card to everyone. Today we took a walk around the circular complex and delivered the notes. That in itself was a pretty ambitious task. It was heartwarming for me to see the consideration of the neighbors and how much it meant to my dad.
I Found God today in caring people who touched my dad’s heart.
