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Done With PT

Posted by eph21920 on June 2, 2016 in Answer, Doctor, Grateful, Healing, Hurt, Knowledge, Trust

Well, it has been 4 long months since I wrecked my hips trying to do Zumba. I knew it was a bad idea at the time, but did it anyways. Truth be told, I would have ended up in the same situation at some point along the way. When I started physical therapy, I couldn’t believe how weak some of my leg muscles had become. As I continued, I was surprised at how much pain the therapists could inflict on me, only to have it feel better. And I learned a lot about how proper positioning for exercising and the importance of good posture. I have always exercised on my own, but evidently have been doing some things incorrectly which helped lead to the hip problems. The rheumatoid arthritis that I had since childhood left my joints very stiff and stuck. The therapists assured me that my body could move in ways that I didn’t think it could. I would say a prayer and just trust that God gave them the wisdom and knowledge to treat me. They were right. Today I was discharged feeling better than I did before I even tried Zumba. I gave my main therapist a big hug and thanked her for all her encouragement and for everything that I have learned.

I Found God today in the gifted therapists that helped me recover from a painful injury.

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Grocery Store Accomplishment

Posted by eph21920 on June 1, 2016 in Family, Food, Grateful, Healing

I needed to go to the grocery store today. I typically do the shopping by myself – especially in the large grocery store – but I had a bit of a headache, so my mom offered to come with me. I accepted. She had made up a menu and we gave her the list of fresh produce. When we entered the store, she took a big cart and put her cane in it. This sufficed as the walker she usually uses when she goes for long distances. The produce was right at the entrance, so she started there and I went to the opposite side of the store. I figured we could meet up as I made my way back. At one point I was a few aisles away from the fruits and vegetables and spotted my mom as she continued to work through her list. I was glad she seemed to be doing just fine. When I was done, I met her as she was ordering meat from the deli. She was pretty tired by this time and went to find a place to sit down. I finished the deli order and we checked out. On the way home, we realized it had been almost 2 years since my mother had been to the grocery store. She said she enjoyed the trip and would do it again. Perhaps I have a new shopping buddy.

I Found God today as my mom and I realized how much stronger she has become.

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Puzzle of Life

Posted by eph21920 on May 31, 2016 in Answer, Faith, Hope, Life, Music

I have literally thousands of pictures that I have taken over the years and hundreds of pieces of memorabilia that I have kept. When I moved about 1 1/2 years ago, I just packed all of them in boxes and brought them along. Recently, my sister was looking for some specific photos, so I decided I would start sorting through mine. When I took the pictures, I usually had doubles or even triples printed so I could share them. Needless to say, there are way too many. I resolved to dispose of the extras. As I started going through the items, I remembered the stories that each represented. Sometimes I would laugh out loud. There were also some events that were difficult to remember. They brought feelings of sadness, bitterness, embarrassment, or self pity. Honestly, I felt somewhat relieved as I shredded some of those memories that I would rather not hang to. Today as I was out and about I was listening to music in the car. The song, “Already There” by Casting Crowns came on. I paid particular attention to the lyrics. The song is about how God knows us intimately as individuals. He was there in the beginning of our lives and He is already there at the end. The words that struck my heart were, “One day I’ll stand before You, And look back on the life I’ve lived, I can’t wait to enjoy the view, And see how all the pieces fit.” This helped me to remember that all the events of my life – no matter how they made me feel – are part of who I am. One occurrence does not define me. My life truly is like a puzzle. The pieces all separated may look like a jumbled mess, but at the end it is a complete and beautiful work of art.

I Found God today in song lyrics that helped me to remember that God is in every event of my life.

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Memorial Day 16

Posted by eph21920 on May 30, 2016 in Death, Grateful, Sacrifice

Today is Memorial Day. While I did not go and participate in any memorials, I did read and hear many stories of those who have lost their lives in the military. There were stories by family members and friends, all heart felt and courageous. Each one different, yet each one very much the same. I cannot personally imagine what it must be like to loose a loved one in the ways those servicemen did. But I am personally grateful for their service, their commitment, and their sacrifice.

I Found God today in the many heartfelt stories of those who lost their lives protecting me, my loved ones, and this country.

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Ave Verum Corpus

Posted by eph21920 on May 29, 2016 in Family, Grateful, Music

This morning in church, before the Mass started the choir started singing “Ave Verum Corpus” – “Hail, True Body”. My mom said she loved the song and started singing along. She was very quiet, but I could hear her. Although her voice is not what it used to be, she still hit the the high notes and it sounded beautiful to me. When it was over, she said it was one of her favorite songs and it felt so good to sing it. There were tears in her eyes as there were in mine when I was listening to her. The opening song was “America the Beautiful”. This song also moves my mom, so she started Mass with full and grateful heart.

I Found God today hearing my mom’s voice and seeing her reaction as she sang a beautiful hymn.

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Gift For Bravery

Posted by eph21920 on May 28, 2016 in Children, Family, Healing, Struggles

A friend’s little boy has had medical issues from the time he was born. At barely 2 years old, the poor little guy has had surgery on both of his club feet and is going through casting and braces on his legs. Most recently, his family discovered that when he was sleeping, there would be long pauses in his breathing. They did a sleep study and found that he has severe apnea. He was checked into the hospital to see what needed to be done. They contemplated surgery, then found that the little boy had strep throat, so they put surgery on the back burner. The doctors fitted him with a little cpap mask and after almost a week in the hospital he was able to go home – with a new accessory. In the pictures, he is always smiling and doing his best to be a 2 year old. Today, the mom shared a story about a gift that the little boy received. She even shared the note that accompanied the gift. The boy’s grandfather wanted to send him something personal rather than a “generic trinket” because his grandson has been so “brave and strong” and “faces everything with a big smile on his face.” The gift was one of the medals that the grandfather received while he was active duty in the military. That really touched my heart. It was so loving and thoughtful. And so timely for this Memorial Weekend. It is easy to see that this little boy has a lot of love surrounding him and plenty of reason to keep smiling through his challenges.

I Found God today in an extraordinary gift from a grandfather to his brave grandson.

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Grandfather’s Story

Posted by eph21920 on May 27, 2016 in Family, Knowledge, Life, Past, Sacrifice

It was a quiet day at home today. My dad wasn’t feeling very well, so he slept much of the time. My mom got bored pretty quickly and wanted to find a project. Years ago, she started a photo album/scrapbook that tells the story of her family. She has a page set aside for her father’s biography, but she hasn’t been able to decide exactly what or how much information should be included. She worked on it for a while, then I started putting into my computer. As she went over her father’s journey to America, I thought I better look some things up to make sure I was accurate. I came across a website from Ellis Island where you can find passenger lists from those who immigrated and came through the Island. I put in my grandfather’s name and sure enough, there he was. There was a lot of information that we were able to verify and some that raised questions. My mom couldn’t believe that it took only a few minutes to find out so much. She went back into the notes she had and elaborated on her father’s story. It warmed my heart to see and listen to my mom remember her dad and some of the meaningful events of her past. As we talked about those earlier times, I tried to put myself in the culture of the day. It was, of course, quite different than it is now. For instance, he came from Germany and did not know any English when he arrived. He had the equivalent of a 3rd grade education. He worked for a baker for a few years, then opened his own bakery which sustained he and his family throughout life. I enjoyed getting to know my grandfather a little bit more and have a new respect for who he was.

I Found God today learning more about the sacrifice my grandfather made and the perseverance and courage he showed.

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Treated With Care

Posted by eph21920 on May 26, 2016 in Love, Stranger, Struggles

I took my mom to a doctor’s appointment bright and early this morning. In the waiting room, there was a woman speaking very loudly. It became apparent that she was mentally challenged. There was another woman with her who was completing her paperwork and would talk with her every now and again. She was very patient and caring with her, as were all the other medical people in the office. It lifted my heart to see her being treated this way.

I Found God today in the people who treated a mentally challenged woman with care and respect.

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Time With My Son

Posted by eph21920 on May 25, 2016 in Family, Grateful, Life, Relationship, Travel

My son is taking a summer course at his college, so we had just a few days to visit this time around. We got up ridiculously early this morning to make sure he got to the airport in plenty of time for his flight. With all the hype about 3 hour wait lines and such you just never know what you might run into. As we got closer to the airport, we were joined by what seemed to be hundreds of others who had the same concerns. The parking lot was full as far as the eye could see. My son had already checked in for his flight and had only a carry on for luggage, so he could just go straight to the security line. I dropped him at the departure area and gave him a big hug. Then I hung out at the cell phone lot for a while to make sure he was all set. Turns out he was at his gate only 1/2 hour after I left him. There were no problems at all. He touched base as he made his connection and finally back to his school. I was glad his trip was safe and uneventful. But I am sad that he is so far away again. Our visit was short, but we had such a good time. I really enjoy his company. Each time we get together I can see him growing in responsibility, empathy, and maturity. He is so very considerate and respectful of his grandparents. So it was a bittersweet day. I am sad that my son is not closer, but grateful for his safe trip, for our relationship, and appreciative of the person he is becoming.

I Found God today as I enjoyed the time with my son.

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Wild Wildlife

Posted by eph21920 on May 24, 2016 in Creation, Family

I asked my son how he wanted to spend our day together today. He decided to go to the zoo. Even though we have been there several times, it is one of his favorite things to do. The weather was beautiful and the animals were more active than I have ever seen. First, we had fun feeding the giraffes. They stuck out their long black tongues and wrapped them around the lettuce that we held out. Then we went over to the elephants. They had an indoor/outdoor enclosure. One elephant was inside the large maze-like room. When another elephant came in, he quickly went outside. In a little while, we heard trumpeting. The elephant who was inside went out to see what was happening. As soon as he got out one door, the other elephant came running in the other. It was hysterical. Once we got to the grizzly bears, we heard that one of them had just come to the glass and did a big swipe at the little girl who was sitting by the window. As we watched, the 2 bears got into a fight. They were growling and batting at one another until one backed down. They did this a couple of times. Then a zoo keeper came and fed them as they showed off some of the behaviors. The otters were also tussling around under the water. Then one did some continues loops and flips. We went to the wolf enclosure where things got really interesting. When we arrived, all we could see were lots of magpies – crow like birds – who evidently thought that was their home. My son jokingly said that the wolves were going to come out and catch one. After a bit, the 2 wolves awoke and started wandering. The magpies were irritating one of them, even landing on him and pecking at him. The wolf snapped at him a couple of times, and as we watched, he actually caught him. This upset the magpies even more. As the wolf trotted around his territory with the dead bird in his mouth, the magpies – now in a flock of about a dozen – chased the wolf dive bombing him and pecking him now and again. It was quite a scene. Soon, a zoo keeper came in to talk about the wolves and feed them. The now large crowd told her about the incident. She was surprised and said she did not know that the wolf had it in him. She said she was actually happy about it as the magpies have been problematic as they tease the wolves and steal their food. But that was not the end of the animal antics. The hippos were playing with very large plastic balls. It seemed to be a game to see if they could get them under the water. Once the did, the ball would get loose at some point and come popping back up to the top. Then the hippo would throw it’s head back with it’s mouth open and splash it on the surface of the water as if it was laughing. In the reptiles, we watched one of the reptiles shed it’s skin. When we got to the primates, there were more zoo keepers feeding some of the smaller monkeys at the entrance. There was also an enclosure that held naked mole rats. The keeper pointed out that one of the naked mole rats was giving birth just at that time. Amazing. Perhaps it was Spring fever that had everyone worked up. The whole adventure was better than Nat Geo Wild.

I Found God today in the amazing behavior of wild creatures.

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