Week 30 – Wrapped in the arms of grace.
Greetings!
Registration is open for the “Self Care by the Sea” retreat next April at the Stage Neck Inn in York, Maine. There are only 5 spots left so if you plan to join us, please grab one now. You can get all the details here.
Have a great week!
Love,
Cheryl
p.s. – Need a little Divine Direction? Use the “Touch of Grace” button on our homepage here.
Wrapped in the arms of grace.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers for my dad. I’ve been touched by the comments on Facebook and the emails I’ve received, and I feel such gratitude for this loving and kind community.
I’m happy to report that my father is feeling better and should be released from the hospital this week. Fingers and toes crossed.
Facing a family health crisis has taught me a lot about managing anxiety, working collaboratively with the medical community and my siblings, staying in the moment, and growing myself back up when buttons get pushed.
I’ve been doing my best to face this tough time with consciousness and care and as a result, I’ve had some special moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
During one of my hospital visits, I brought a nail kit and lotion and offered to give my dad a manicure – something he hadn’t experienced before. Once I trimmed and filed his nails, I spent time massaging his hands. After a few awkward moments, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and smiled. Then he quietly drifted off to sleep.
As I mimicked what I’ve experienced while getting a manicure myself, I thought about all his hands have done over the last eighty years of his life. The diapers he changed, the snow he shoveled, the endless notes he’d written on yellow legal pads while in night school. He’s done so much to support our family.
While watching him sleep, I imagined my soul speaking to his and I thanked him for all those years of hard work.
Some moments in life are heartbreakingly beautiful.
This last week has been hard on my family and me, and yet I’ve felt wrapped in a kind of grace. At times, things have fallen into place with very little effort. Space in my schedule opened up when I wanted to get to the hospital. Offers of help appeared when I needed support. And people have been cooperative and flexible with last minute changes to plans.
That said there’s still a little girl inside who wants it all to go away.
She wishes things were different.
She wishes her dad were completely healed.
She wishes life wasn’t so hard sometimes.
But wishing doesn’t make it so.
That’s why we have each other.
I send blessings and prayers back to those of you who are dealing with your own challenges.
May you feel yourself wrapped in the arms of grace, too #x2665;.
This Week’s Video
This week’s video is adorable. Check it out here. Thanks, Randy! #x2665;
