22 Reasons to be Thankful
At the beginning of May I went back to Minnesota to hear my dad sing his final solo. It was as if he set his will to fight hard until he completed that task.
The next day he was in a wheelchair. A week later in a hospital bed. And he finished off the month by entering eternity.
The one discipline I managed to keep in the chaos of May was to write reasons to be thankful in my journal. There is something incredibly freeing when giving thanks in the broken places.
Jesus, at the Last Supper, took bread and broke it and GAVE THANKS. Then he told his disciples to do this in remembrance of him. Not just the wine. Not just the bread. But thankfulness in the broken. (Matthew 26:26). Bitterness and thankfulness cannot simultaneously flow from the same heart.
From my journal last month.
22 Reasons to be Thankful:
1. For the 15 people who sent money to Relay for Life when I said I was $144 short of my goal.
2. Surpassing my goal by almost $1000.
3. A high school friend who picked up a luminaria of my parents from their Relay for Life in Minnesota and mailing it to me.
4. For a friend who wrote, "To your dad, who sings until the end."
5. Dad telling jokes, holding onto laughter. The last joke he told me, "What is the definition of decaffeinated?" Answer; "An aborted cow."
6. The gift of saying "goodbye" and saying things that matter.
7. Dad interrupting my chit chat so he could pray for my children.
8. Cell phones that allowed me to be at two places at once.
9. Friends who brought a celebratory balloon when I tested negative for the BRCA gene mutation. And a card. And a cupcake. And three smiling faces.
10. Learning that grandson Micah is having a sister.
11. Being present for Zach's final band concert and banquet and seeing the gift of leadership in him. Being present to see him walk the stage and get his high school diploma.
12. Replacing a 1970's backpack. Looking forward to hiking in Peru later this summer.
13. My grandson's face watching fireworks at graduation.
14. Friends who showed up at my door two days after my dad died, who cleaned my bathroom and hauled tables and chairs and vacuumed, knowing this was my first graduation party without my parents being there to help.
15. On the day Dad died my daughter declaring that we had to eat ice cream. So we went to Coldstone - Dad's favorite ice cream place - and ordered big cones. (We are serving Coldstone at the funeral.)
16. My son wearing my dad's wedding cuff links at graduation.
17. Former students of my Dad's, remembering Dad's use of Norwegian phrase and other words like "Hunyak" and "Bodacious" and reading "The Raven" with dramatic flare, saying "Never more. Never more."
18. Sympathy cards. I always thought they were lame. Until I had reason to receive them. I love the stories and personal notes inside.
19. A final conversation:
"I love you," I say.
"I love you too," Dad says, "I wish I could love you longer, but I don't think..."
"But you get to go to heaven."
"Yeah, a good thing."
20. My sister and Mom with Dad when he died. Fulfilling his wish to die at home.
21. My dad in HEAVEN. Happy him. Sad us.
22. "It is times like this when it matters the most to believe."*
The gift of believing.
What is on your gratitude list today?
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My dad's obit and link to info about the visitation and funeral: http://www.bayviewfuneral.com/obits/obituary.php?id=301900
* quote from Nathaniel Dunigan, friend and founder of AidChild