Last week, Loren's family drove down from the top of the United States. The cousins spent the afternoons, evenings and nights with us, then visited Grandma and Grandpa in the mornings. So fun to have them! Our kids have such a great time together. Loren's wife stayed at the folks' house and was a big help to Mom. When we stopped by Sunday night, Mom marveled, "This is the first time I've been in the kitchen in a week!"
While my family was in Galveston for the weekend, my brother Bill arrived at the folks', and Loren and family took off for home. This is a bittersweet time for me. Although Dad's decline is sad, the time with extended family is sweet and meaningful. Thank you Carrie, Zane and Leah for brightening our week. Thanks for sharing your lives and your husband/dad with Grandma and Grandpa. Thank you Loren and Bill for your incredible service of love to our parents. You all are amazing.
Dad continues to ride the rollercoaster. His strength, balance, and lucidity come and go. He is getting more "grumpy" according to Bill. "Mean" according to me. Often about things imagined, or at least unseen by anyone other than Dad. Bill astutely observes that this gives Mom practice with forgiveness. I'll say. Meg and I were talking today about how this long, hard process of dying is not just for Grandpa. Who knows what all God is shaping in the rest of us as we walk through The Valley with him?
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Excellent point, Gwen--we will all have to walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Mark's mother kept saying, as she died of cancer, "It is so hard to die." She wanted to go to sleep and not wake up, but it took a while... Praying for Dad, and asking for a release to the new home with Jesus. I am amazed and so thankful for what Loren and Bill are doing.
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