Family

My friend Norma is rejoicing this morning. Her son Steve called. He and his family are safe. Right after the typhoon in the Philippines, I asked you to pray for Steve’s safety. Thank you for those prayers.

This morning I am thinking about family and blessings and God’s goodness. I remember, years ago, asking my dad what gift he would like,  as his birthday approached. He answered that he just wanted everyone to be well. Dad lived a lot of years. He saw many family members, his brothers and a sister, his parents, three sons, and two grandsons pass away. He knew the value of family and the most wonderful blessing of health and safety for each one. Sometimes I get so caught up in things that don’t matter that much, that I lose sight of the most wonderful blessing of all: knowing that my loved ones are safe, well, and happy.

Why do we like to emphasize the negative and lose sight of the positive? Does someone have a different view of an issue than I have? Why should that be paramount instead of their qualities of  kindness, generosity, neat sense of humor, and love of life? Does my sofa seem a little threadbare and my storage barn need painting? Those things are true but I also have a snug, comfortable home in a quiet neighborhood. Why should I worry about the sofa and barn?

Saturday, a friend asked a very wise question. I mentioned that most of the reviews of Barbara’s and my book, Grave Shift, are positive and encouraging but two were abysmal, the kind that take the sunshine out of the day. “Why do we remember the bad ones and forget the good ones?” my friend asked. A thought-provoking question. Why, indeed?

So today I have determined, with God’s help, to center my thinking around the good things, the important things, things like family and children, grandchildren.  In case I haven’t “told you lately that I love you”  (a wonderful old country ballad written in 1945 by Scotty Wiseman), family and friends, “I’m tellin’ you now.”