Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Love, on Valentine's Day


Dad and Mom, 1976


     Our Pastor has said often there is no love like a Mother's love and it is probably closest on this earth to the love the Lord has for us:  unconditional, unending, faithful, and pure.  

     I saw that love in my Momma even before she came to stay with us and let me be her caregiver.  Momma was the giver and that always started in her over-flowing heart of love.  Her life lived for the Lord, her action of love and kindness, her compassion and love and concern for us is her testimony, her continued witness to us, even now that she is in Heaven.  The memories I have of all of that are so tender and precious and I thank the Lord for those memories.

     My Daddy was such a special person, too.  Hardworking, smart, such a dry sense of humor!  He grew up hard and wasn't comfortable showing us affection, but we always knew he loved us.  He was a great man, a great Dad, and he went to Heaven before I grew up enough to know just how great.  Even though he has been with the Lord 42 years now, I still miss him every day.

     I read recently that grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith, that it is the price of love.  On days like today when my heart is overwhelmed with missing Momma and Daddy and that longing to see them again, that price of love seems too high a price!  Yet, I would never want to even imagine what kind of life I would have today had I not know that love nor my precious parents.  

    I just miss them so!  

     Caregiver, do all you can for the ones you love while you can.  The day will come when all you have are memories – make those memories precious ones.

                                 Cris