Neither one of my parents slept well last night. Neither one felt real good today. We spoke to some doctors, ate light, and napped. Despite that, we all got through and were even somewhat productive. We were all glad when the end of the day came and we could just go to bed.
I Found God today making it through a sicky day.
Today is the Solemnity of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That is a lot of words that basically means it is the day that the Catholic Church celebrates the fact that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was born and lived completely void of any sin. It makes sense that the person who would carry the Son of God within her would be pure. The weather outside here was frigid and snowy all day, so my parents and I did not venture out. Instead, we stayed inside – each with our own very important tasks to do as we prepare for Christmas. I found that EWTN was airing Mass this afternoon, so we all stopped to watch. It was full of traditional music and Gregorian chant. My parents loved it and it was a peaceful break to the busy-ness of the day. For me, it helped me to re-focus my thoughts and heart on the spiritual. I remembered something that I read in a handout I received from a caregivers group – “What if we didn’t treat just the physical needs of people, but the spiritual as well.”
I Found God today in a reminder that there is more than just what we experience physically.
My mom and dad are trying to do more exercising. It is particularly important for my mother. Movement is the best way to keep the Parkinson’s Disease at bay. With the weather so cold now, unfortunately we are unable to go outside for a walk every day. They have a Wii that they used all the time a few years back and decided to get it out today. My dad and I replaced all the batteries in the remotes and the board and got the game functioning again. I got my mom set up on it and put a chair in arms reach so she would be stable. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but after a few minutes she got the hang of it again as she walked on a tightrope and did the ski slalom. She played a bunch of games and even did better than me on a couple. Her perseverance never ceases to amaze me.
I Found God today in my mom’s determined attitude.
Each time I go to the caregiver support group, I came away with a little more knowledge and a little more inspired. One of the women is taking care of her mother who has dementia and Parkinson’s. She is very committed to her mom and always talks about how much she means to her. Today she said again how much she loves her mom and doesn’t want to see her in pain. She said that her mom gave her a chance at life and she wants to do everything she can to see that now her mom has the best quality of life. She told us that she was adopted as a sickly newborn. She had physical problems from the beginning and had multiple surgeries by the time she was only 2 years old. Even through that, her adoptive parents stayed with her and loved her. Now she has the opportunity to do the same. It was beautiful.
I Found God today in a beautiful example of the exchange of love.
My travelling brother has been in one location for a couple of weeks now – not completely by his choice. He has been having a problem with the propane in his trailer and is working out how to get it fixed. Besides that, there has been bad weather in his area. He called this morning bored with the same view, the rain, and the inability to get outside. He and my dad got talking computers and that was that. My dad was having trouble getting some information from the weather station they installed at the cabin. Unfortunately, I am not much help when it comes to technology – especially an Apple product. I am more of a PC kind of person and they run completely different. In any case, my brother patiently walked my dad through the necessary steps to accomplish what he wanted to do. After the hour long conversation, my brother e-mailed the information to my dad so he would be able to do it again. All the while, I was impressed with my brother’s patience and grateful that he was able to help my dad in a way that I cannot. It’s a good thing he was bored.
I Found God today in my patient and helpful brother.
Today my parents and I made a day trip up to the cabin and back. We got an early start and stopped for breakfast. My parents had frequented this particular restaurant quite a bit, but I had never been there before. When we arrived, the place was packed. Evidently, it was the favorite of many people in the area. My parents were surprised at how full it was and said that the restaurant had even expanded their seating capacity. We ordered my parents “usual” called the 2x2x2 – 2 buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs, and 2 meats. I don’t usually eat that much in a sitting, but it was delicious and I cleaned the plate. A few years back, my dad found that one of his magazines invited readers to share their experiences in “pancake paradise”. My dad wrote to the publication about the restaurant. The article was published and my dad brought it to the restaurant the next time they stopped. The owner said that other people had brought the article to his attention and thanked my dad for the review. He asked my dad to sign the piece and he put it on display in the front window. He even gave my dad a free meal in appreciation for the rise in business due to the compliments. When we finished our meal today, my dad spoke to the owner who remembered him and the article. He showed my dad where it was still in the window. It raised my dad’s spirits to know that his action made a positive impact.
I Found God today in the positive impact my dad made a few years ago that was still meaningful today.
My parents and I went to church this evening. Part of the scripture that was read was about John the Baptist. He told everyone to get ready for Jesus as He was coming soon. He also warned people to repent. Often we think of repentance as a humiliating process – particularly if we go to the Sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation. The priest talked about just that. He gave a new perspective of the word “repentance”. Instead of looking downcast and ashamed, we should be looking upward toward the loving gaze of Jesus. His definition of repentance was to first realize that you are a beloved child of God. Then we need to acknowledge that we have not lived up to that love. And next, we do what we can to make amends and to change harmful behavior. I thought this was a beautiful way of looking at it. It certainly made me think – how often can I not even do the first thing – realize that I am a beloved child of God. I am certainly guilty of being guilty. But I know that just keeps me away from God. If I cannot look at Him who loves me above all, how can I allow Him to be a part of my life. Recently, a priest that I have been talking with encouraged me to begin reading specific scripture that focus on God’s love. It has been wonderful and helps me to replace the guilty feeling with the truth of being a beloved child of God. I certainly acknowledge that I have not lived up to that love. I am human with human faults. But I do try to change behavior and thoughts that are harmful to me and to others. I appreciated the new perspective.
I Found God today in a new way of looking at repentance.
A couple of months ago, I connected with a young woman who I knew from my previous home. She is now living in the same state as me, so we caught up over dinner. The other day she told me that her brother was going to be in town for a short time and asked if I wanted to get together. I knew her brother in the high school youth ministry I worked with and had not seen him for several years, so I was excited for the opportunity. This morning I met up with the young woman, her husband, her brother and his family. Her brother is now married with two young children. His adorable and energetic daughter reminded me so much of his sisters as they were pretty young when I first met them. His son was very quiet and polite. The young man, now in his mid-20’s, became a Protestant minister. He was always very thoughtful and inquisitive as I remember him in high school. I could also see that he had a deep faith and was trying to figure it all out – as are most high school youth. We talked about the path that he took for his life and the discernment process that he went through in making this big decision. He said he couldn’t see himself doing anything else. He told me about his schooling overseas and finding a congregation to work for. He is currently the pastor of a small church in a small town in the next state over. We talked about youth ministry and the workcamp trips we used to take. He wants the kids in his youth ministry to have that same experience. There are many high school youth – mostly guys – who come to his youth group and not all of them are part of the church. Evidently he is offering them a connection that they are looking for and is a wonderful young role model. I was so caught up talking with him that time just flew by. In the mean time, his extremely patient wife was keeping the kids occupied – with a little help from their aunt and uncle. I chatted with her a bit before we parted ways. I mentioned what a sacrifice this young man and his wife are making. She said she did not see it as a sacrifice at all. She is honored to support her husband, to allow God to work through her, and to follow the path God has set for their family. It warmed my heart to witness what a blessing this young man has become.
I Found God today in a faithful, dedicated young man and his family.
After my mom recovered from her most recent hospital stay a couple of months ago, we decided to go to the Parkinson’s Disease support group in our area. Since we are “newcomers”, we were invited to attend a special presentation called “Parkinson’s 101”. We have gained so much information already from the group and were happy to make it to the presentation today. It included a video by a doctor, stories of real life experiences, and even some humor. Before it started, we were told that by the end we would know more about Parkinson’s Disease than most of the doctors. The main speaker was the vice-president of the group. She was a caregiver for her mother who had Parkinson’s. Her sister’s husband had Parkinson’s and they were both present to add valuable input. Her mother-in-law also had Parkinson’s and she was able to help get the diagnosis due to her experience. They were all very passionate about the subject and had a deep desire to help Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers. As we listened, my mother and I nodded to each other as we completely understood some of the struggles that they were talking about. I asked my mom if she was told this information by her doctor and she had not. I have gone to her doctor’s appointments for the past 2 years and never heard any of what they were discussing. Most of what I learned has come from the internet, and it can be hard to decipher what is true and what is not. I continue to be baffled that she was given this diagnosis and has received so little information along the way. At the same time, I am grateful for all that we are learning right now. I feel we are all better equipped to deal with the disease and help my mom have the best quality of life.
I Found God today in caring people and valuable information to help me help my mom.
My brother has been traveling all around the country and Canada with his trailer and his dog. He has been staying at various campgrounds and moving on a whim. He has been staying at a particular place for over a week. It was crowded over the holiday weekend, but recently everyone moved out and he has been alone as he describes it in the middle of the campground. He called today and told us of his adventure last night. He said his dog was acting strange all day yesterday. She was visibly upset and my brother couldn’t figure out exactly why. Later that night as they were trying to sleep, he heard thunder rumbling far away. It sounded ominous, so he checked the weather. He found that there was a line of severe thunderstorms producing hail moving his direction and a tornado watch was in effect. His poor dog was beside herself by this time and he decided they should see what kind of cover they could find. He and his dog got into the truck and headed over to the office. It was midnight by this time and the people in the office were locking everything up and heading out themselves. They discussed options and my brother decided that the parking garage seemed to be the best idea. He drove into the middle of the garage to wait out the storm, reassuring his dog that everything would be ok. They sat there for an hour and a half as the storm tore through with lightning and thunder on top of each other. When things calmed down, he drove back to the site of the trailer. He was happy to see that there was no damage done. He and his dog settled down to sleep once again in the wee hours of the morning. Later he found that the storm – as serious as it was – was just ramping up as it passed by him. The storm did produce tornadoes not too far from where he was. We were all happy that he and his dog were safe.
I Found God today in safety for my brother and his dog.
