when words are like a hug

Bill and I visited with our neighbor yesterday who just lost her husband after some 60 years of marriage. It was really sad that death separated this couple who were really wonderful together. Sadly however illness had taken its toll on our friend and we had come to accept that his time had come. He was 83.

While we were sitting at the kitchen table with the family it was remarkable how the stories about him just flowed, stories of his capacity to love his sense of humor and his generosity present in each and every story. Our friend was a kind man.

As I watched the reactions of the family it was clear to me that they were grateful to hear each and every word for indeed they were hanging on every word. remember when. When you're visiting someone who has lost a loved one it's so important to take time to share your remembrance's with the family.

To those who are grieving those stories are like a hug.

“They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. 

Death cannot kill what never dies.” ~

 William Penn

2,285 days since you've been gone

I am so fascinated by the moon, the stars, the clouds and the sky

 that I find myself constantly looking up. The heavens take on a whole new meaning 

when your kids are there; in heaven. 

I  know I don't write about the kids 

all that much on this blog. But don't let that 

fool ya, parents never stop grieving 

the loss of their children 

EVER!

And although our family has moved forward with 

living our lives the best we know how,

we take moments to 

remember.....

Today we remember Eric's 28th

 birthday but there will be no celebrating. 

He and his sister Gretchen 

 died in an accident 

  July 3, 2006.

youth has no age~picasso

Those of you who read this blog know that I'm a grandma times five..... My oldest grandson is growing by leaps and bounds. When they were here for Easter I actually had to look up at him, he's fourteen, can you believe it? Adam and I have a special relationship, I was there when he was born, baby sat a million times.... how could we not? I even cut his cord! Yuck! 

But yuck isn't my "Y" word youth is..... 

"Y" youth......

I've decided to just highlight some quotes about youth that I thought were witty or thoughtful.

But before that I thought I'd share with you a picture of my grandson, I really think it's adorable. This child is  so youthful so bright and just brimming with personality.

Don't you  love teenagers? They are their own breed! When I took this picture he was giving me "that look" as if to say Grandma really a camera!" "You're actually pointing that thing at moi?" Notice the forehead, it reminds me of The Rock with those creases and the eyebrow lift. Kinda cute!

Oh! to be young again! 

Well, I know I'm not young anymore but I know I'm not old either. I guess for a while I get to live in that middle age dead zone. But there are times when I feel especially young, like when I step into the room with my childhood friends and the old stories start to fly. But to be truthful I don't really feel my age I think I feel a bit younger......but the kids deaths took it's toll on us as a family and me in particular; how could it not!

Anyhoo, here are some of the quotes I really liked and wanted to share with you.

"Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope."
Aristotle

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."
Friedrich Nietzsche

"Youth is wasted on the young."
George Bernard Shaw

"In youth we learn; in age we understand."
Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

"Youth is not restored by the dyeing of your hair."
Abu Bakr

"Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age."

Victor Hugo

"Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."
Franz Kafka

So friends, do you feel your age, or do you feel more youthful?

Do any of thee quotes speak to you, do you have a favorite?

live in the sunshine

I've missed this link up for the past two weeks and I'm sorry that I did. There was a short trip for a  St Patty's Day celebration and I've been miserable with allergies because of all the pollen in the air here. It took about a week for me to get enough medication into my system after I got back from my trip so that I could actually breathe.

Anyhoo,  I love looking for great quotes reading others, it's so much darn fun. Well I'm back this week and thinking about vacation actually...can't you tell by my picture! I know rushing it right? It's been almost 90 degree's here a few days this week so I'm thinking beach, really can you blame me? I don't know about you but we've already have a house rented for our vacation this summer; a family vacation timed so that we can celebrate  my son Matthew's thirtieth birthday.

Family, beach, water, sunshine...that's where I'll be, what about you? Any plans for the summer yet?  Are you having vacation or a stay-cation?

 Linking up with Bits of Bee today.


                                               

it's the worst feeling

I'm not sure how it is that I missed last weeks link up but I think I found a pretty neat quote from Mark Twain  to contribute for this weeks link up.

To be perfectly honest there was a period in my life when I felt intense personal loneliness especially after my kids accident when I was plagued with terrible self doubt. On a lighter note, I think everyone of us has gone through periods when we just feel like our skin just quite doesn't fit... my teenage years come to mind!

What about you?

 Linking up with Bits of Bee today.


                                               

As if they were lovers...

 Linking up with Bits of Bee today.


                                               

to give is to receive

Picture this......

You go visit a sick friend and as you're leaving you see them smile and your heart just smiles too!  

Or you give some much needed support to a friend during a really difficult divorce. Hey, just an ear and a hot cup of coffee but you both walk away feeling a bit lighter if only for a moment or two. 

An elderly member of your church is lonely so at the sign of peace you forget the handshake and give her a hug and she tears up with gratitude and your heart swells. 

Isn't this so true? 
Have you experienced this yourself?

photo attribution

Linking up with Bits of Bee today.

do write

Truth be told I was never much of a student. But I acquired a love a writing as I journeyed and journal-ed  my way through a personal tragedy. That journey eventually led me to this blog. Mostly I do my writing for personal pleasure and this blog is a doorway to a vast community of people, very nice people. 

I'd like to think between my life's experience and my enthusiastic albeit basic abilities with the written word; that I might now and again actually do what good ole Mr. Franklin says......

Linking up with Bits of Bee today.

gems picked up in the bathroom

I was always very good with time management- still am. I tend to be an organized person- good at getting things done. With a family of seven I'd have to be or I'd have went crazy, right?  As each of the kids left the nest our schedules freed up more and more;

there are perks of an empty nester-well sorta!

Going through transitions are not without their challenges especially for us; but we tried to approach it with a touch of humor.

Anyway, Bill - my husband -loves those funny little books with facts or cute little stories, you know the ones

- you keep in the library bathroom! 

Well, I was looking through on of them the other day and I came upon this quote and I couldn't help but laugh! Then I thought it was so ridiculous and humorous yet relevant to our lives it worth sharing. 

Linking up with Bits of Bee today.

do you talk with a fork?

Some of the most important conversations my husband and I ever had with our children were at the dinner table. Like most families our children were active growing up and time was precious. After school there was homework, school activities, sports and social lives but when it was time for dinner if we were home we were at the table as a family. Back in the day there weren't the added distraction of electronic devices being used  like there are today. I couldn't imagine if my five kids were younger and we had to deal were cell phones ringing all through our dinner time meal and I-Pads wars, ugh!

Now the kids are grown and when they come home the table is still at the center of the house. But truthfully we're not picky, it doesn't even have to be my table, it can be a family members table or the table of our favorite restaurant as long as we're together. And you know what? We talk, we share our lives, we laugh or share our concerns, we drink a bit of wine and eat good food. And the most important thing...... we communicate in person - fork in hand...... no electronics necessary.


What about dinner time at you house? Calm or crazy; dinner table daily or only in your dreams?

Linking up with Bits of Bee today.