Month: March 2013

The flu is in our village….

It has been a week of flu coming and going through our homes and last night it settled in mine….

And so today I laid on my couch and dozed on and off and let the bug travel through….

And in that space I watched a gray day brighten  as rain came and went.

It never really got sunny and yet I watched brightness come and go….

There was a heaviness to the gray until the rain came….

It actually seemed to be brighter when it was raining than when it was not raining….

It got me thinking about life and grief and what a gift it was that I could see the brightening in the storm…

I know grieving is not only related to death and I would guess that there are many people grieving, even if they have not experienced a recent loss….

I invite you to find hope in what I witnessed today…that while the rain pours down there is a brightening that occurs. It does not mean that the grayness is gone for good, but it does promise that lightness will often follow….

I am learning so much about life and death, God, family, friends and myself during this storm of my brothers death.

And I still wish 11 weeks ago would not have happened. I miss my brother!

I hope we will all hang onto the hope that some day there will be no more storms…..

Today I enjoyed watching my nephew play a game of basketball….

It was entertaining and gave me great admiration for youth sports…

His team has a dedicated coach who was speaking very good words…

But it was evident that the words given did not translate into action…

They were attempting to play man to man defense and it was more of kids chasing their assigned person around the court…

They were told to take it to the net and their momentum as they attempted their lay up demonstrated that their young skill level did not yet include control of their moment…

And yet, they were out there, trying, playing, giving it 110 percent and having fun….

I am aware that I often live like those young players…

Sometimes I run around giving life my all but forget to listen to the good words of instruction coming my way….

Sometimes there may be really good coaches surrounding me and yet I learn best by giving it my all….

Sometimes I have to remind myself that the more I invest and risk and give it my all, and not take the game too seriously, the better chance I have for success….

Life is not simple, and I imagine the game of basketball doesn’t seem simple to these young players either…..

And although in the midst of the game, the score seemed important, I believe the more lasting lesson is in the lessons (and skills) learned….

Thank you Jean Marc for reminding me that life is about trying new things, giving my all and having fun!

 

I have been a bit delinquent in my blogging this week…

I have a number of half written blogs…

I began writing about nutrition, grief, worship, routine, journeying, spring and hope….

I seemed to have a good start and then my thoughts faded and it was difficult to know how to end them…

Writing doesn’t always come easy and sometimes words are hard to find…

Sometimes I have so many thoughts that it is hard to communicate them clearly….

I am so thankful for those of you who are faithful readers who share your thoughts about my writings….

It makes the half written blogs worth struggling through…

But for tonight, I will wrestle with my half written blogs, believing that there is something to be shared in the ideas that came to my heart so freely….

Stay tuned for thoughts on nutrition, grief, worship, routine, journeying, spring and hope….

And if you are half way through something and struggling…don’t give up!

 

One year has come and gone….

Day in and day out….

Nap times, feedings, cries and giggles…

This little guy came into our lives and our office and quickly filled any available space in our hearts…..

He has grown from helpless babe to interactive and crawling toddler….

From silent to jabbering….

From days of delight when he made eye contact to being responsive and now masters the skill of imitation…

He wins over the hearts of all who enter and even Dutch lays still as he discovers her eyes, ears and lips….

Life is wonderful when young life is present….it makes the hard days a bit easier, the sad days a bit lighter, the quiet days a bit noisier and every day way more fun…

I can’t wait to see how you grow and change in the coming year. We are so glad for your presence in our lives (and office). You are loved sweet boy

I heard this song by John Mayer yesterday as I drove around town with my niece Karolyn.

We commented on what a good way to live…

Having been deeply impacted by my brother’s recent sudden death, the lyrics echo so true.

I know there are many things I wished I had said to Len….

This song feels like an invitation to me. I am not sure of the full context in which it was written, but I do know that I believe that honest communication can bring so many good things to relationships. . I also believe that when honest communication includes speaking words in love, it is life changing communication…

This song is not filled with creative lyrics, but simply repeating one simple message…

I wonder what comes to your mind or what resonates in your heart as to what you need to say and to whom….

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

Have no fear for givin’ in

Have no fear for givin’ over

You better know that in the end

It’s better to say too much

Than to never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shakin’

And your faith is broken

Even as the eyes are closin’

Do it with a heart wide open

A wide heart

Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say
Say what you need to say

 

I love the images that come with it takes a village…

As a single person, I am grateful that I live in an active village…

I love the many people in my village and the way we tag team on all that makes up a days activity….

A few snippets from our village…

Thursday

Matt (my nieces fiance) picks up my sister and brother in laws car in order to get my niece from Chicago

My Mom meets up with Matt to loan her GPS to him in order to get him to and from Chicago without getting lost.

My parents drop off the 3 Bos kids to their house, after having watched them for the day) on the way to Muskegon to watch my nephew play basketball…

My niece and her fiance stay at my house Thursday overnight and Friday in order to get a ride home Friday evening…

Friday

At four pm I assist my niece in getting the car back to my sisters, we pick up my sisters three kids so my sister and brother-in-law can go on a date….

We bring my niece and her fiance and my nephew to my parents home so my Dad can drive them to Saugatuck and watch my niece’s basketball game

My brother-in-law takes his daughter and her fiance home to Muskegon and sends his other daughter home with my Dad who brings one Bos child and one Dekam child  to my house for a sleep over. They join the other two Bos children….

Saturday morning my Dad will hang with the oldest Bos child while his parents work on Taxes at Eastown Financial and the other two will go to friends homes. My Mom and I will attend a shower for our friends from Burma, my Aunt will take Karolyn to her Youth Symphony practice at noon at St Andrew’s Cathedral. I will gather the 3 Bos chhildren after the shower. I will pick Karolyn up at 3 from the Cathedral and bring her back at 5. I will return the 3 Bos kids to their parents by dinner time and at the end of the day I will pick up Karolyn from the Cathedral where we will meet up with my parents and all watch our friend from Burma play an indoor soccer game. Karolyn will stay overnight since she sings again Sunday. My Mom will feed us all Sunday…..

And on it goes, different people on different days but all of us committed to helping each other with whatever comes up in the day to day……

I am thankful for a village that is full of life and commitment to one another…

Life is full of joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, life and death and lots of love!