making sense of it all...

The beauty... 

Hubby's built a raging little fire in the fireplace.  It's full of crackling pine to take the deep chill off this wintry cold fall morning.  18 is not a usual temperature for this time of the year.  We've already done a few chores and are taking a few minutes to sip our coffee and enjoy the warmth.

This week has been full of ups and downs.  I am starting to feel that no one I know has had a remarkable 2014.  Or maybe it is just those here in the metro east.

Hubby had his pre-surgery meeting with the anesthesiologist yesterday.   Just over a week, hard to believe in January he'd started mentioning an occasional stabbing pain in his hip, which our "trusted physician" told him was just bursitis and to basically get over it, to facing a total hip replacement in a week.  Not even a full year later.  And they wonder why I don't trust the medical profession...

Its a common surgery now, he will be up and about before Christmas even arrives.  I've had dear friends dealing with more illness and injury than is imaginable.  Too many either struggling to survive or losing the battles.  It's just been so much...

There have been major car accidents, job losses, family dysfunction. Just so much.

And somehow in the midst of it all, I've seen such powerful goodness.  Maybe that is what has made it so easy to hold it together through it all for so many. Even us.

Friendships have gotten stronger, relationships deeper.  There have been people putting aside themselves and their needs to uplift those around them.

There is chaos here in the Midwest, sadly we've made international news.  Right, wrong or indifferent this will all have to play out.  There are far too many outsiders stoking the fire.  Eventually they will read their "verdict", eventually we will see if the goodness in our neighbors can shine brighter than the hatred of the outsiders trying to use a terrible situation for their own agenda.

I am prayerful that the goodness I have seen this year will allow us to survive this with our families and communities intact.

In the midst of all this I have a dear friend that is dealing with something so unbelievable that I cannot comprehend the devastation in her heart, nor where she will find the strength to survive the battle ahead.  I don't know where she will find it, but I know that she will.

I don't tend to do the "thankful" posts in November.  Each day I thank God for what I am thankful for.  I am thankful for my family, my friends, the people (2 and 4 legged) that I share this crazy little life with.

Last night I was thankful for my beautiful little grand baby spending the night with us.  She and I stayed up for hours, talking, snuggling and watching movies.  My heart melted when she told me that in Heaven you have everything you need, so she was able to send her Daddy a text message telling him that she loved and missed him, and he could see it.  She's 8, just turned 8, that isn't something she should be dealing with. She hadn't spent the night since the night he died.

my heart

When she wakes up we'll have a special breakfast and then probably run a few errands, she's been wanting a scrap book to start saving her treasures in.  She has a picture of her crossing the finish line at a run at school that has motivated this.  I think it's a great idea.

When I watch her simple 8 year old way of dealing with hurt and heart ache, and she still smiles and laughs.  I know that this crazy world can survive.  That there is goodness that will win the day. Her bubby comes home tonight.  She is so excited.  She will have her family all together again.  Both of her big brothers will be back close to protect her and love her and complete her family.

Just a thought... hold your family and friends, your loved ones, close.  Do good, and put good out to the universe for those that may need the extra strength.  Send prayers towards Heaven and be someone else's heart when they need it.  Those are the things that will change our world... all for the better!