2007 in review

Memorable moments. Where your mind has taken a picture. An incident has been lived through, heard, felt and seen which will influence you for life. Moments that contribute to who you are.
These moments can be the wonderful ones which can steal your breath away with wonder.
But they also could be the ones which are so painful that they steal your breath away with pain.
Some are pretty ordinary at the time, but later seemed to gain significance.


It is good, I think, to take stock of such moments.
They are "Markers".
Maybe they are spiritual, but maybe not.

I live a very boring life. In no particular order, my "markers" very well may put you right to sleep:

*Surviving the first year of Casey's college experience.
This learning to let go business is hard.
For me AND her. (and for me) (me)

*Observing Abby's very first band competition. I have looked forward to this phase of being a band mom. I am a competitor, just not very fierce.
A second reason this band competition was memorable was because I met a newly bereaved mom. Right there on the bus seat with me. There is no way that our being there together was an accident. For the next few years, when we meet, we can look each other in the eyes and ask "How ya' doing?" and we will know exactly what is being asked.

*Being told I have a mass in my right lung.
Gasp! Terror!
Oh wait,.. it was just an infection caused by inhaling bird dookey.

*Speaking at the National Gathering of Bereaved Parents. It was a meeting room filled with hundreds of emotional and spiritual giants.

*Time spent in the book "mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. Big revelations there...just this morning even.

*The 2:30 am gathering around my dad's bedside, singing to him, talking to him and loving him as he stepped from this Earthly dimension into the Heavenly one I long to see and know. What a heartbreaking honor to be there.

*The quiet time my family had immediately for a few hours after daddy's death.
We called and informed no one.
Just us.
Very intimate.
We sat in mom and dad's house processing what we had just witnessed and what it would mean for us all. My family has as many (or more) issues as every other family, but I am glad to live life with them.

*My disappointment there at daddy's deathbed when God did not answer my prayers to get a glimpse of Jae, Heaven, angels or some other type of glory. It happens to others, and I wished it for me.

*The homeless ministry that I have been privileged to be involved in.

*Flipping a house.
We just about bit off more than we can chew here, but hey, I am learning to take risks. I hear that taking risks is fun. Remind me of that when you see me.


* The March 18th banquet fundraiser that supports Jae's, Taylore's and Alicia's memorial educational scholarship. Each year, I am humbled by the deep generosity and love of friends and strangers.

*The mean spirited person who attempted to sabotage the March 18th banquet by calling in cancellations to the banquet hall, and placing another call to cancel the food for 750 people.
What was that all about anyway?

*Long talks in the wee hours of the morning with Casey.
Sending her to school immediately after her Pa's death was very difficult for her. Add a few more stressful things and her tearful comment "I don't think I belong here anymore", made me want to throw back my bed covers, get in my car, drive the distance and bring her home.
I wonder if that is how God in Heaven feels about us here on the Earth?

There are others markers, which probably should not be shared, and there are some that are probably huge and I will slap my forehead at the idea that I have forgotten to add them to this list.
Regardless,..we are upon a fresh start to a whole new year.
2008 is here.
A chance to create new markers.

Fresh starts are good.