Thursday, January 20, 2011

All The Things A Smile Can Say

I recently helped my mom move my grama into a nursing home. That's never an easy thing to do. We were sitting in the dining room of the assisted living facility we were moving her out of. My grama and her best friend were sitting across the table. Plates of goulash and corn sat in front of us and the task at hand loomed in the air.

I look up from my plate just in time to notice an exchange between grama and her friend Carmen. These women are old and their lives have been full of joy and sorrow. Carmen looks at grama and smiles with a smile that says, "how am I going to make it here without you?" Grama smiles back and grabs her hand, "How am I going to live there without you?"


Over my plate of goulash and corn, my eyes brim over with tears and all I can think is WHY? Why does life have to be full of goodbyes?


This morning I pushed back the curtains to see all the snow that had fallen gently at night while I slept. The memory of their smiles to each other comes to mind as I watch the snow sparkle in the morning light.


It saddened my heart and I wondered why again, that life is full of goodbyes? That's when the memory of their smiles, which is burned into my mind, ignited a thought deep in my soul...




Love is beautiful.



One simple truth that changes everything.






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2 comments:

Lisa notes... said...

Yes, love is beautiful. That's why the good-byes hurt. But only in "time." Outside of time, God will redeem all our pain.

About this time last year we were looking at assisted living facilities for my mom because of her late-stage Alzheimer's. It was a very hard time. But she has since left there and gone to her true home in heaven. I miss her terribly, but only because her love here was so beautiful.

Craig said...

I know it’s Saturday – kind of late to read your “Walking With Him Wednesday” post - but I spent most of the week catching up to reading all of the multitude or Ann’s “Multitude Monday” – and still didn’t finish them all. I got to way over 100 of them though.

And so I come to yours and it makes me pause – and think. Goodbye’s – the ones that are hardest are the ones that prove how much love there is. Love IS beautiful.

I was blessed by this. Thank you.

God be with you and yours