pass "The Rocking Chair Test"

This is my home town. I drive down the street where I ran my first marathon and look up at the mountain where I’ve hiked (often with my dogs and/or Hubby) hundreds of times, and I feel good just being there. Our old dog’s ashes are scattered on that mountain.

My son, DIL, grandson and his sibling-to-be are closeby here. My sister lives a mile away and she’s probably my best friend, after Hubby. My mom (and other siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma, etc) lives about an hour and a half drive from here.

My next-door neighbor is the neighbor I’ve always wanted. We basically leave each other totally alone unless one of us is in need of something (watch each others’ dogs, call when the tornado sirens sound, etc.). We have each others’ keys and we know we’re always here for each other. She’s trustworthy and caring, but doesn’t drop in or bug me, ever.

People are exceptionally friendly and helpful here. I’ve heard people from all over say so. I’ve lived other places and I believe it. You are much more likely to be asked to church than to be the victim of any crime.

I feel so torn sometimes about when (not “if” but “when” ) I should go to where my husband is. It’s hard to leave, but it’s hard to be without him.

I want to look back at my life and feel that I’d done the following more often than not….

“Anyway” – From Mother Theresa
Mother Teresa hung a copy of this poem on a wall of the orphanage she founded in Calcutta. Its source is unknown.

People are often unreasonable,
Illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and
some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It is never between you and them anyway.

in the hospital. I miss it terribly, but I know it’s one of the few things she can really use and enjoy right now, so it’s worth my doing without it for a while. I loaded it up with all the old country and western songs she loved when i was a kid, but they are so depressing! So I then added some country gospel and a few songs I thought she might enjoy.

I just received a gift of a stereo docking station to mount under my kitchen cabinet and can’t wait to try out my mp3 player on it, but then again I AM NOT the one who just had my gallbladder removed so I can just be patient!!!

He and his new wife are moving in with his very recently widowed MIL. I tried to express to him that whatEVER he can do now for his wife and MIL, in their grief will never be regretted. It’s absolutely an honor to be able to help someone when they need you so much. I didn’t think he would get to step up to this particular plate so young, but I have faith in his good heart. My own FIL cared for my MIL’s dad (our Papa) when he was dying of cancer. He traveled 2,000 miles into the cold weather, from sunny Florida, to stay at his house and help his wife and him, for months. Staying over there was probably the hardest part for my FIL, as Hubby and I live less than a mile away and he really wanted to stay here with us, but Papa’s wife needed him closer, constantly, round the clock.
He is an amazing example of a Christian human being. To him, love is a verb. I could give many more examples of this. I want my son to look at his example and see why this matters so much.
His FIL’s death is a tragedy, but out of it will come a beautiful opportunity for service (and love, to his new in-laws.

When I’m old and grey-haired, rocking in my rocker, I want to look back at these years and not say, “I wish I hadn’t….” Or, maybe even more painfully, “Why didn’t I “blah, blah, blah” when I was able to…?”

The thing is, I can picture it so vividly it breaks my heart…

Wishing I could call my mom or go see her… I can do that now. Someday she’ll be gone.

Wanting to lay in husband’s arms all night, regretting the times I pushed him away. There’s no gaurantee I’ll always have that choice…

Remembering my sweet dogs and wishing I’d played fetch, or taken them running, or gotten them rawhides to chew (the very favorite things of each of them). I can do that now. Much as I like to deny it to myself my dogs (especially my 16-year-old) are a temporary gift.

Mostly, I don’t want to regret the times when I COULD HAVE had the honor of helping someone who needed me, and turned a cold, indifferent shoulder instead.