Great starts are easy, the goal is to finish well
Five years ago when we first moved to Charlotte, we had to make so many changes – way more than simply our zip code. The list included new driver’s licenses, doctors, dentists, registering to vote, where to shop, and how to get to all these places. Over time, we have come to learn about our new city and can (usually) find wherever it is we need to go. Occasionally, we still rely on our phone apps to get us there.
As I begin packing for another trip to California, (of course, that was before the world shut down due to the Coronavirus), I am reminded that this is becoming all too familiar. Not the trip, but the reason for it. Loss. After a certain age, the expectation that we will experience loss becomes more likely, not that it cannot happen to anyone of any age. My experience has been that loss is becoming a more recognizable part of the landscape along the way. We can’t escape it. It is part of humanity; every person in our life carries the risk of loss. The risk is worth it though – how joyless and lonely would we be if we shunned companionship in order to shield ourselves from the sadness connected to losing someone.
Quality of life rises to a higher priority as options become more and more limited. When we first realized that Mama was beginning to display signs of dementia, our family made the decision to try to fill her life with as much joy as possible. I say ‘unconscious decision’ because, at that point, we didn’t…
Evelyn has shown that same industrious spirit in everything she turns her attention to. The history she has kept and preserved will continue to bless family and friends for countless generations to come.
We know that Andy had many struggles in life but over the past several years he experienced many victories and was in a good place – he finished well.
Change is going to happen. Our only option is to look for and embrace as much joy as we can in the process.
And finally, a memorial service is also one more way to show honor to a parent. As God’s word tells us in Ecclesiastes, there is “A time to mourn.”
Mama was a messenger. Her life was a message that didn’t need words. This season also gave her family something else. Time. The extra time we were given allowed us the opportunity to show her honor.
There have been many changes in the world of education over the past several decades, but Jack believes that the one thing that has not changed is the need to interact with the kids and building relationships.
Gene usually has several history projects going at the same time. He said, “I enjoy the research and try to fit the puzzle together . You’re always missing pieces, but you do the best you can to fit the pieces together.”