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Here Kitty

Posted by eph21920 on February 19, 2016 in Connected, Creation, Family

Last summer we got my dad a “game cam” for Father’s Day. We thought it would be fun to put it up at their cabin in the mountains to capture animal activity. We were pretty sure that we found bobcat tracks just up the road from the house. It took a few months to figure out the best place to put the camera, but not too long ago we found a good spot and it started taking pictures of the wildlife. We saw the proof that there was in fact a bobcat who was wandering around near the house. In January we brought my son and his girlfriend to the cabin and looked for the bobcat the whole time, calling “Here kitty, kitty!” But, no luck. My parents and I were able to make our way back up there today and checked out the new pictures. We found 2 instances of the bobcat. The first one was the day after we visited last time. I thought that was kind of funny. I sent the pictures to my son and his girlfriend so they could see that the bobcat came to the calls, but was just a day late.

I Found God today in wildlife and funny timing.

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Into Peace

Posted by eph21920 on February 18, 2016 in Faith, Forgiveness, Grateful, Peace

Life can be very hectic here. When there is no emergency situation, the time includes going to doctor appointments, planning family events, and basic daily living chores. Sometimes it is very quiet, other times the air is filled with a TV too loud for my liking and people speaking even louder to make sure they are being heard. Whatever condition or situation life is in, we all need to step into peace. I had a meeting at the church tonight and was grateful to be able to leave a little bit early. I spent some time in Eucharistic Adoration just sitting quietly in the presence of Christ. It wasn’t just quiet though, it was peaceful. I was also grateful to be able to participate in Reconciliation. I shared my struggles with the priest and he in turn gave me suggestions on how to deal with the issues and move forward in a positive way. He actually told me some things that were already on my heart, thus affirming what I felt God was saying to me. After speaking with the priest, I was able to spend a few more minutes with Christ before my meeting. I felt as if I breathed a huge sigh of relief, as if a large weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was at peace.

I Found God today in His peace.

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Most Important

Posted by eph21920 on February 17, 2016 in Family, Life

Today my mom had her voice therapy class with just her and one other participant. The therapist engaged them in normal conversation to help them remember to speak loud and clear. She asked them leading questions and encouraged the dialogue. The answers they gave to the questions were wonderful. They were asked, “What is one thing that you would do over again if you could?” They both said they could not think of anything. “What about something you would have always liked to buy?” Again – they could not think of anything. Finally, my mom said that she wished she would have been able to travel to Australia. “Who is someone that you really admire?” Both women answered it was their daughters who were helping to care for them. “What is your idea of a perfect night?” Their answers were being with their children or having a quiet night reading or just having conversation. I thought it was enlightening. When we are young, we can think of all kinds of things we want to buy and things we want to do. These beautiful older women had no regrets, no desire for lavish things, and their families were the most important things they talked about. When all “things” are stripped away, that is what it really all comes down to.

I Found God today in a reminder of what is really important in life.

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Just Start Writing

Posted by eph21920 on February 16, 2016 in Answer, Connected, Family

One of my parents’ friends came for a visit today. She comes every week to chat and play piano duets with my mom. Last week she brought a game called Spinners which is similar to dominoes. We played about half the game last week and finished it up this morning. My mom won by a landslide. Further proof of her recovery. We always catch up on how the family is doing. My dad told their friend about my brother who is journeying across the country. He has been talking about doing some photography and/or writing along the way. He has shared some pictures that are pretty astounding, but we have yet to see any kind of blog. My dad has some writing experience and has a published college textbook. He said that the biggest waste of time for a writer is the time before getting started. He has encouraged my brother to just start writing. My brother called this afternoon and was excited to tell us about a decision he made while lying awake last night listening to a storm. He decided that he is going to start writing. He said he doesn’t want to waste any more time thinking about it – he is just going to begin right now, right where he is. To me, that showed how connected we are, even though miles apart.

I Found God today in the connection my brother and dad had.

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Regaining Strength

Posted by eph21920 on February 15, 2016 in Doctor, Family, Grateful, Healing

After my mom had a stroke on Halloween, she made an incredible recovery. However, even though she appeared to be back to normal, she felt very weak. She had no energy, got short of breath very easily, and was fatigued after doing just a little. Her doctor sent her to physical therapy. She met with the therapist once before Christmas, then started the regular sessions after the first of the year. My mom has been very committed to going and doing the exercises at home just about every day – regardless of how she feels. Today when the therapist started her on the exercise bike, my mom thought it was on the lowest setting as it was so easy to pedal. But, it was actually on the higher setting. It was evidence to how much stronger she has become. Then the therapist took her on a walk around to measure if/how much she has improved. When they returned, my mom reported that she walked 3 time further than she did the first time. That was amazing. The therapist congratulated my mom and told her what a great job she was doing. In the car, my mom said she got teary-eyed when she realized how much better she is. She said after the stroke, she was afraid she would never regain her strength and stamina. To me, it is awesome how much my mom has gone through, yet continues to work hard and recover from setbacks.

I Found God today in my mom’s additional recovery.

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Celebrating Love

Posted by eph21920 on February 14, 2016 in Family, Love

Happy Valentine’s Day! I love to celebrate holidays and now, I love to help my parents celebrate as well. My dad, mom, and I all managed to get some little surprises and put them secretly on the dining room table before breakfast… cards, candy, flowers, and my dad even got me a DVD. For breakfast I mixed up a special recipe of pancake batter, added some red food coloring, and poured them on the griddle in heart shapes. They were cute and delicious. We exchanged greetings with the rest of the family and looked at adorable pictures of my granddaughter. At church there was a special prayer for couples and I thought of the love my parents have shared over the years as I held my hand over their head in a blessing. After church we went to lunch at one of their favorite places – along with many others celebrating the day. Back at home we chatted with both my brothers. I decided I would let them have a quiet dinner alone, so I set the table, lit some candles, and brought my dinner downstairs. I think they enjoyed their day – I know I enjoyed helping to celebrate.

I Found God today in celebrating love with my parents and family.

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Being a Blessing

Posted by eph21920 on February 13, 2016 in Connected, Family, Healing, Struggles

My sister who broke her leg continues to recuperate even though she still has some bad days when she is in a lot of pain. Today she told me about a friend of hers who was hurt in a horseback riding accident. The woman suffered a broken leg very similar to my sister’s. They have talked often since the accident. The friend told my sister how helpful it was to be able to talk to someone who had experienced the same thing. I thought about how true that statement is. When we are going through something horrible, we often get angry, depressed, or wonder why we have to endure such a thing. It is rare for a person at that time to think that something good will come from it. But later, when we can journey with another person who is facing a similar situation, we can be a blessing to them. Not only that, it feels good to be able to help someone else in this way – to be the blessing.

I Found God today as my sister is a blessing to her friend.

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A Speedy Recovery

Posted by eph21920 on February 13, 2016 in Answer, Friends, Healing

There are still sheets of ice in the circular drive of the complex where we live left over from the big snow storm. Even though the temperature during the day has been like Spring, the big chunks of ice seem to get bigger. The other day as my dad was out for a walk, he came across one of the neighbors who helped out when he took a nasty fall last year. She told my dad that her husband was out trying to chop up some of the ice and had a heart attack. She said that he may have to have a bypass. He was taken to the hospital close to the house. My dad was thinking of paying him a visit. My mom called their house today and was surprised to hear him answer the phone. Evidently the doctors decided to put stents in his heart instead of the bypass and he was already at home and sounding strong. That was such good news. Later we heard some machinery in the drive so went out to investigate. There was a little bobcat bulldozer scraping the ice off the street and dumping it into the grass. We were glad that the ice got cleared away and even happier that a friend was doing well.

I Found God today in a friend’s speedy recovery.

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Blessings in the Day

Posted by eph21920 on February 11, 2016 in Eucharist, Faith, Family, Food, Friends, Grateful

I was feeling so blessed today. Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Of course, I feel blessed because of my encounter at Lourdes when I was a child. I wrote about the specifics of that experience last year. So, her feast day is always on my calendar. There was a special Mass at the cathedral today including Anointing of the Sick. I was so happy my parents wanted to go. They both got anointed and both felt better as the day went on. What a blessing. I feel so blessed that they raised me in faith, helped me to know God, and continue to practice what they have always taught. I am blessed to have been able to go to Mass 2 days in a row – and not even on a weekend – and receive Christ in Communion. It really does make a difference. I remembered a story that a friend shared a couple of weeks ago. She was in a candy store and bought some nonpareils. She was chatting with another customer who said that if they used those at church for communion, they would get a lot more people to come. My friend was stunned that she would make such a comment. Once she got over the shock, she replied that the ones in church are way better. And they are – heavenly.

I Found God today in celebrating Mass with my parents and being able to realize many blessings in the day.

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Lent For Others

Posted by eph21920 on February 10, 2016 in Faith, Family, Lent, Love

Today was my mom’s first session of a group voice therapy. It was a very small group – just 1 other person. She was an older woman who also has Parkinson’s and is living with her daughter. We all went into a room and after some warm-up exercises, the therapist instructed my mom and the other woman on having a conversation with one another. It was evident that the participant really struggled. Her legs were constantly moving and it was very difficult to hear and understand what she was trying to say. My mom strained to listen and piece the words together. She felt bad telling her that she couldn’t hear her. At the end of the session, the therapist asked what they thought. The woman said she thought my mom sounded like she didn’t need the help at all. My mom is able to speak up when she thinks about it, but it is hard for her to keep it that way. Later, I asked my mom if she thought the class would be beneficial to her. She said she thought it would even though her and the other participant are so unevenly matched. It occurred to me that in a group setting, people are there to encourage others. That in itself is helpful to all parties. Perhaps this is my mom’s roll in this particular class. Sometimes we go into a situation thinking it is about us and getting what we want out of it, when in reality, we are there to help others. I thought this was particularly meaningful as we begin Lent. I always think about not only what to “give up”, but also what to do to help strengthen my relationship with God. At church tonight, I realized Lent is not even all about me. It is about others. As we do these things to get closer to God, we get to know Him more. As we do that, we realize that God loves not only us, but those around us. As we realize that more, we understand that our short lives are not all about doing and getting what we want, but it is about love – more specifically loving others. So, during Lent, while I am trying to do all these “things”, I am going to try hardest to put my focus on others. Everyone will benefit then.

I Found God today beginning Lent with an “others” focus.

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