Sometimes You Just Need Nothing 5/21/2022

 Good Morning,

The coffee mug has two purposes this morning. Number one it to be filled with Door County Churro Coffee and the other is to be held in my arthritic hands and let the warmth of coffee soothe soothe them. 

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. 

Life changes when you least expect it to. I have been watching my wife Rene deal with the changes her mother is going through. Mom is 94 years old and a few months ago she was able to perform like she was 84. She was still driving and living on her own. One fall changed all that and she is now barely able to function in an assisted living residence. All of a sudden Mom is old. 

The byproduct of her disabling accident is watching my wife go through this with Mom and her siblings. It has been hard to watch. I can read my wife's face like the back of my hand and almost know what she is thinking. Rene isn't a very vocal person as it is and she is getting quieter by the day. She has settled to the fact that Mom might improve a little and that would be great, but she will probably never return home. Rene's dad has been gone for a long time now. He suffered from cancer and you knew that it would take him and it did. They as a family were prepared for that outcome. But to see this woman who a few months ago would go and visit the elderly in nursing homes, is now being visited in one herself is harder for my wife and family than I thought. 

Last night, I asked Rene if she would like to go to her favorite place for some custard. Usually that question is answered with her grabbing her jacket and standing next to the truck, waiting for it to start up. But she replied with "not tonight, I just want to sit and rest awhile and do nothing." 

I didn't ask twice, I could see in her face that this lesson in mortality has her tired and worn. So I dropped the subject and asked if there was anything that I could get for her. She just said "no thanks, but just sit with me for awhile." Sit I did and our two dogs seemed to know that they should join in. We just sat in silence until I heard some easy snoring coming from Rene. She didn't need anything except to sit and rest. 

Friends, sometimes we don't really need anything but to sit and be silent. An hour later she woke up, we prayed and both went to bed. Silence is golden. 

Have a great day!

Marty