Life

Had the most amazing get away with some wonderful friends for a little more than twenty four hours.  We went to a little town nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, called Boone.  Now I have heard about this place from my eldest son Shaun, who goes here to camp whenever it snows, but I had never visited.  I probably would have never experienced this amazing little town other than our friends happen to have a house there, high up on the mountain ridge overlooking the valley where the town is situated.

Sometimes, we just need r & r as the military call it, and we needed that.  My wonderful mother-in-law is slipping away, surely, but very gradually.  She is ninety eight and five months old, and has been an amazing influence in my children's and grandchildren's lives.  It is very hard to see someone you love slip away.  This lady has the most intelligent mind I know, skipped two grades in school, and was doing the New York Times crossword up until a few short months ago, when she slipped to the floor from some unknown issue that caused her to become totally blind and almost unable to get out of her chair by herself anymore.  She went to a nursing home three years and some months ago after having three heart episodes in ten days.  We had signed a DNR and believed her time had come.  Then, just like this amazing lady does, she rallied, but we knew we could not look after her medically any more and she moved into a nursing home.We have been lucky, she has come home for every birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas, but now, that is no longer possible.  She can barely feed herself and tonight was signed into hospice.  Our prayer is that our Lord takes her home in the most peaceful circumstance.

Our peaceful circumstance happened on the top of a mountain, overlooking a town called Boone, with wonderful believing friends who we could share our feelings.  It was almost orchestrated when the snow fell outside our picture window in our bedroom looking out over the valley below, with lights twinkling in the small town tucked into the valley, and the end of October long before we are supposed to be sprinkled upon by the white stuff.

God is good.