Good morning…
Up in the middle of the night, I snap a photo of the sign that greeted me yesterday as I settled into my parents’ villa at their senior living community in Olmsted Township, Ohio. This sign makes me smile. A simple, handcrafted warm welcome. Susie, my nickname growing up. My mother’s always beautiful handwriting. The kind willingness of my brother Andy to drive in from Pennsylvania to overlap for a family dinner.
Now I snap a photo of the beloved painting staring at me from the wall. A painting of us three Herr kids in front of my dad’s parent’s home (Nana and Granddad to me), a painting created by his brother, my Uncle Tim. I am the brown-haired, middle child holding a cat. Nothing speaks of my childhood connection more than this painting I have always loved dearly.
A few weeks back, my dad asked if I would fly in from Atlanta to go with them to their follow-up appointment with my mom’s surgeon. He invited me as another set of listening ears. At 86 years old, he’s been my mom’s dependable caregiver for the past twenty months (fall, broken femur, stroke, ICU, another fall, another broken femur, blockage in her colon, surgery on our son’s wedding day, September 3rd). My dad doesn’t ask much of me and he doesn’t ask often, so I canceled two full days of my commitments. Coming to Ohio for today’s follow-up visit with the surgeon clearly became the best way for me to live this given day.
As my dad and brother went to pick up our order from Olive Garden, my mom and I prepared our four ice waters and enjoyed a nice talk. She showed me her colostomy bag and how it works. The bag has been a complete nightmare for my dad to care for since the right sized bags are back ordered and even the visiting nurses have made messy mistakes. So we hope that today we will learn about a surgery to reverse my mom’s need for this crappy bag. I will take good notes as together we define the medical plan moving forward.
On the plane ride here, I watched the movie “My Name is Otto,”a movie about a lifetime of love, both heartbreaking and endearing. Each of us have our own opportunity to grow in love through the welcoming and the crappy parts of life. In the middle of this unique night, I am grateful to nestle into our own family’s version of lifetime love.
God’s works are so great, worth a lifetime of study—endless enjoyment! Splendor and beauty mark his craft; His generosity never gives out. His miracles are his memorial—this God of Grace, this God of Love (Psalm 111:2-4, MSG).
God’s everyday miracles are well worth studying, growing among us a lifetime of love.
…Sue…
If you appreciate receiving these free daily messages, please consider giving a Gratitude Gift.
To learn more about God’s expanding ministry through Sue, visit SueToYou.com.
To send Sue a private note, reply here.
