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Can you still have a spirit of Thanksgiving when you world appears to be falling apart?

We all have enemies, we all have questions of un belief, we all have storms, we all need a a weapon to fight off the evil one and let’s be honest… when our worlds come crashing in on us, we could all use a little bit of heaven to fight for us…

Today, makes it 37 years that my mom was promoted to heaven. She was only 50. The following month, I emptied our family home of over 27 years, had it leased and was off to Wheaton Graduate School.  

This week I was looking for this picture to email a friend. It’s a photo of a piece of art (2ft x 3ft) hanging in my office with the word GRATITUDE. Gratitude is a simple concept, what is easy to over look, while at the same time has the ability to help me keep perspective and profoundly impacts my attitude.

Holidays, in general, can be difficult for those who have lost a loved one. It’s important to try not to avoid the day or pretend it’s not happening. Remembering is a way of saying I Love You!

We hear so often about how the death of a loved one affects our mental health but we never hear much about how it affects our physical health! In his book, A Grief Observes, C.S Lewis said that bereavement is similar to the feeling of being ‘mildly drunk or concussed.

Death causes you to really think about life. It hits you like a punch in the face and when you begin to stand back up on your feet you get those occasional flashbacks of the pain and agony you felt at the initial blow. Then it goes away and every year during special times like holidays and anniversaries it hits you all over again.

This photo was Bonnie's last Mother's Day on this side of eternity. No one thought this would be her last. So five years later we remember and we continue to move forward. It remains a little surreal at how much has changed in five years.  I guess my choice in clothing hasn't (which I'm reminded of often by my wonderful and caring daughter).