my window sill has become my own personal Merry Christmas space... with the cards i've received... one from Melissa's folks with holly, one from 'Mom and Dad Wiggett 'with a pair of cardinals, an old fashioned, snowy Vermont scene (with glitter) from Bernie, Kathy and Mahaliah, a photo greeting from Jessie, Ben and Madie (you are all a sight for sore eyes), a home made one, with a thumbprint reindeer from the Wallers and another handmade "Merry Christmas" from "Chong" (M&S's oldest...)
I have a willow star wreath and a perfect willow reindeer made by JW.... and 2 "salt" ornaments, made by Chong in school. One is a star and one is a bell, with the word "family" on it. She gave me the card and ornaments as soon as I got home on Monday, which really touched my heart.
Oh, and the felt heart I made last fall, too.
That big ole tree outside has lost all it's leaves now. And in the last 20 minutes or so, the grey sky has turned to blue, and the sun is shining.
Isn't that just like life?
One minute it may be blue skys and sunshine and the very next it can be raining.
And I guess that's sort of what is on my heart right now... this last week I have experienced both incredible joy at the news of another great niece being born... Alyssa Marie... welcomed into the loving arms of her proud Papa, my nephew Sam and his wife Amanda.
and deep sorrow at the death of an old friend, who took his own life. Dealing with the death of a friend or loved one can be excruciatingly painful and difficult to get through. When someone dies by their own hand though, it is, for me anyway, so much more difficult to reconcile my emotions...
Being so far away, and feeling somewhat estranged from the family, I do not know the circumstances that made him decide life was completely hopeless... or not worth living.
I can honestly say, I wish I was home... to join with my family in welcoming Alyssa to the world and to hold her! She'll be 4 months old before I get that chance.
I also wish I could attend the service for S.B. and give his loved ones a hug 'round the neck... because I really don't have any words...
Since I got the news the other day, I've been thinking about "Broken Vessels", a small, country gospel group I used to sing with. Perhaps we should have come up with a different name, because we all sure have experienced alot of brokeness over the years.
S.B. was our sound man for part of the time the group was together. This song, "Testify to Love", by Avalon was one we used to sing. I have not been able to get it out of my head since I heard the news.
I have no idea who these lovely ladies are doing the drama/creative movement... or where they are... presumably they are at a church somewhere on the planet. Anyway, this is my favorite version of the song on youtube...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbZIpASArAY&feature=related
To me, this song is simply about loving people, exactly the way they are whether you 'agree with it' or not - and it is my personal goal in life to do just that... though I fail, I shall continue to persevere...
In the time it has taken me to write this, the sun was shining in so strongly I needed to shut the curtains in order to see and now, the sky has gone grey again.
And I am not home, I am here... Sending love across the sea.
susie
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