Sarah and Sheila Day 11--

Sheila Day 11--

I began today a bit in the dumps.  It is funny that some days one just feels like a good cry would actually make things a lot better.  However, if you look around on the posts, you might actually discover that, well, I have actually been there and done that . . . numerous times!  I tried to shake the feeling, but it just sort of hung on throughout the day like a heavy fog.  I tried to shift gears, called Sarah just to chat, walked through the "fun stuff" in Walmart, but the fog just hung out and I still just felt sad.  Christmas Spirit . . . focus on the spirit and what you are going to do Sheila . . . redirect and shake it off.  I knew what I was going to do for my act of kindness today, but was unprepared for the winds shifting me in a totally different direction.

I received a random text a few days ago from a number I did not recognize.  It said, "we survived the first month without mom."  The picture that was attached was small and I struggled to discover who the message was sent from.  I "should" know, but why couldn't I place the little kiddos in the photo.  Today, another text came from that number.  It said, "found out mom had stage 3 cancer like Milt.  Sucky!! At least she didn't have to suffer."  Jamie??? Is that you???  And a simple "yes" response came.

Jamie, Jamie K as I call her lost her mama only a month ago.  Her mother, Janeen, was one of my best friends and our boys have been friends for 18 years.  She was an amazing woman who brought a lot of  brilliant colors into my world.  We spoke often; however, when too much time would pass, one of us would reach out to the other and we reconnected like it was just yesterday.  Jamie has had a tough month.  She and her mama talked all of the time and I can only imagine that there is a gaping empty hole left in her mother's absence.  Sigh . . . life:(

The first part of my act of kindness was for Jamie.  I was already on my way to H&D Floral which always makes me feel better.  I love the bright colors on each of the trees and I can spend a lot of time just looking at all of the "stuff."  Then I saw it.  A simple, brightly colored butterfly in the deepest shade of teal.  It was nestled on sparkly greens with a small bird nest filled with eggs.  Perfect!  Janeen was a free spirit like the butterfly.  And now, she has a new set of wings free from the pain and suffering of this world.  Then I looked for a card, and you will never believe this, but there was a card that said "stop and smell the roses!"  My card!   I toted my items to the counter and paid.

When I got to the car, I opened the card.  A ton of little ribbons fell out that each said "stop and smell the roses!"  I grabbed out 2 of them, put the rest in the card, and wrote a note.  I then went to the cemetery to where Janeen was laid to rest.  I took my 2 ribbons, tied them on a piece of wire that was holding a memorial, and had my cry.  I miss Janeen.  I cannot imagine what her family is feeling as the holidays approach. 

I texted Jamie and dropped off my little gift.  I visited for a few minutes, hugged her, and trotted off to the next part of my evening plan . . . ROBBY!

Robby is an AMAZING young man and has been a part of my life for a long time.  He was a guitar student of mine, but his mama was also a dear friend that died from cancer several years ago.  I miss her spirit as she brought a lot of life into mine.  She was incredible and I see so much of her in Robby.  Robby recently graduated from college and I know that his mother would have been so incredibly proud of him.  He and I met for supper, laughed, talked, caught up, and he told me of the new venture he will be heading on.  I paid for supper and told him HAPPY GRADUATION! 

I love both Jamie and Robby.  I love all of their siblings, Andy and Derek are Janeen's other kiddos and Andrea and David are Ruth's.  All of these kiddos were blessed with amazing moms that were also an important part of my life.  So today, if your mama is alive and well, hug her and tell her much you love her.  You never know when this day might be the last you ever get to share.  Please pray for all of the babies without mamas this Christmas.

Love for Mamas and Treasured Memories,
Sheila



Janeen and I

Ruth, Andrea, Bob, Robby, and David Stenson

Sarah Day 11--

One thing my mom has always been good at doing, is comforting others when they are down. She rarely takes the time to dwell on the downfalls of her own life and enjoy her own cry. Sometimes, I think that my mom must have five or six shoulders, because two shoulders can't possible hold all the tears that have been cried on her. Yup, my mom has the best shoulders to cry on. I know because I've used them.

When mom's friend Ruth passed away, I had no doubt that she would be holding all of her tears back so that she could be there for Ruth's children. And I was right. In fact, I hardly remember mom crying (publicly) about Ruth's passing. Maybe a few tears here and there at the funeral, but that was it. She was needed by Andrea, David, and Robby . . . So she was there. Any time they needed her, and any day. She was always there.

When mom told me of Janeen's passing, I was in shock. Janeen has always had health issues, but her death was extremely unexpected and it came at a rough point of my mom's life. Mom always says that "everything happens for a reason." I must say that this was one of those instances that you wonder what the reason could possibly be. Surely, there is no reason good enough. I wish I could thank Janeen for always coming through for my mom. If mom needed a friend to talk to, she was there to listen, and when mom needed a place to go, her door was always open.

Mom took a bit more time to dwell on Janeen's death than she did on Ruth's. I imagine this was because there were a million other hardships going on in mom's life. This was probably another one of those "why me?" moments. Why did MY friend have to die? That seems to be how mom and dad's life has been for the last year. One step forward and two steps back, constantly. I feel like so many negative things have impacted their lives recently, that they could both just look up to God, and scream "WHY!"

Like they say though, life doesn't stop for anybody, as unfortunate as that is. I wish I could make the pain and the heartbreak go away for them, or just fast forward through it all until times are good again. Times are not good right now, and that makes me sad. I miss my happy-go-lucky family.

Mom being the way she is, she has hardly taken any time for herself to just cry.  Her "why me?" moments are quick, and then she must move on. She has to move on so that she can continue to be there for the people that need her.  Mom is busy busy all the time being there for other people in her life. I think she really needs to take her own advice and "stop to smell the roses."

This evening, my deed was little, but I am sure that it was helpful. Mom had some BIG packages delivered to the house that were apparently supposed to go to her house. There were five packages, and four were big. They have sat at the house here for about a week, so today I decided that I would pack them up and drop them off at her place. The distance from her house to our home is about 15 miles. This could have quite possibly been a very inconvenient trip for mom to make with all of the junk she has going on, but it hardly took any time out of my day to bring them to her. Anything I can do to lighten the load, I will do.

Today, I am so very thankful for my mom. I am thankful that she has made it through all of the obstacles that have come her way this year . . . She has faced many life changes. I am thankful that through it all, she has kept her faith, when most would have lost it. I am thankful that she continues to find beauty in the day, and that she is happy to be alive. My mother is truly an inspiration, and I only wish that more people could be like her.

Love for Mamas and Treasured Memories,

Bearsky