Life Means so Much

We left in three shifts today. Don before sunrise. Nathan thirty minutes after. And me, an hour after Nate. Having dozed in and out during the wee hours, I filled two travel mugs with coffee, put them in a cereal Tupperware pitcher, and placed the pitcher in a bag hung on my scooter so I could get them down my stair chair to the car without spilling.

I succeeded. And soon warm coffee settled my insides as I drove to a doctor appointment and relived the weekend that included a fall break for my oldest son.

We enjoyed rich laughter during a dinner at Moe's. A sweet talk on our screened in porch. A wedding shower for my youngest and his soon to be bride way across town followed by a restaurant meal that led to a down payment on a rehearsal dinner. We sat together during Sunday morning worship and prayer. And hugged goodbye in a way that follows a weekend of growth and change and the knowledge that God is working in our lives despite the heartache and challenges life affords.

Because yesterday marked seventeen years since their dad breathed his last and God took over the father role in their lives.

Seventeen years.

And we're OK.

Our faith is intact. Our hope is eternal. And we know who holds the future.

I played this song over and over as I drove the highways to my appointment. Cause this weekend meant so much on many different levels. Colored leaves. Breezy days. Crisp air. Family. A celebration of life together... and life departed.

And it meant so much.