Dads

I've been sitting here staring at this blank page, wondering what to write. I've got an ache inside me. 

Charlie Kirk spoke at our church a couple of times and I felt like I kind of knew him, even though I didn't really know him. My heart aches for his wife and two kids.

Watching TV this week someone had written that Charlie Kirk's kids will become adults with only pictures and not memories of their dad, stories but no experiences. We paused the show and just looked at each other. Chuck's dad died when he was only three. We just sat and contemplated the truth of that.

This is the only family photo that exists of them: his parents and older siblings. Chuck wasn't even born yet. Even though he was three when his dad died, there are no pictures of the two of them together.

Charlie Kirk's murder was a senseless act that's caused so much pain. But, he loved the Lord and is now talking with Him. No microphones needed. I think of it as a caravan during a road trip. One of you has to stop for gas so you tell the others, "Go on ahead, we'll see you when we get there." Charlie Kirk has gone on ahead and we'll see him when we get there.

My original plan this week was to write about my dad. He died on September 11, 2019. 

 

It's been a somber week. I hope you're doing okay.

The Last Two Weeks

When church's Executive Assistant retired last fall, another admin was given her position but the main job was broken up between a few people. One of the jobs I received was Memorial Service Coordinator.

I volunteered at one and just knew this is what I was supposed to do. Our church doesn't have many funerals or memorials throughout the year but we've had 6 in the last 4 months.

But in the last two weeks, a older member of our congregation passed away...

(Placing the flowers and photo before the service)

I arranged for Beth and Nick to meet up for dinner and a movie. They made it their Valentines celebration.

 

Sharaya and Allie came over and somehow we ended up on the computer looking at pictures of Allie as a baby. She made so many cute expressions!

  

 I'm the event planner for our Business Meetings. We had about 180 for our Annual Meeting last week.

The morning of the Business Meeting we found out that our head custodian had suddenly and unexpectedly died in his sleep. It's been a very somber, difficult week at work.

(Trying to arrange everything.

We ended up putting some of it at the top of the stairs.)

 

After R died, we had a Facilities Meeting that I bought food and drinks for, set everything up then was a part of the meeting. (I'm the Admin for the Facilities Department.)

We've cleaned up our main custodial closet. A couple of the admin removed everything, then I went in on my days off to wipe shelves, label things and just get them organized. With so many custodians using it, over time it tends to collect things.

Before

 

(I love it when there's a place for everything and everything is in it's place!) 

 

 Beth and I drove to The Spaghetti Factory yesterday for Nick's surprise birthday party! His parents are taking him to Disneyland!

The last two weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions. It's 6:00 on Monday night right now and I should be at work. (I work a part time job Monday evenings) but I decided to stay home. I'm doing laundry and helped Beth put on her new comforter and pillows. 

Time to just relax.

What kinds of things do you do to relax? Has it been a long time (too long?) since you had a chance to really relax?

Kind Of A Rough Week

I found out on Wednesday that a good friend of mine recently passed away. She had been sick for quite some time but was living day-to-day and doing pretty well. Went in for a regular checkup and ended up dying that afternoon. I'm still in shock.

On Thursday afternoon I got a text from an elderly friend I visit a few times a month and his wife had fallen and broke her nose! She was taken to the hospital and had to have stitches right across the top of her nose. I saw her today and her face is so swollen and is bright purple. But she doesn't remember a thing! She'll look in the mirror and be so shocked, "Oh!! What happened to me?!" 

Then Thursday night my sister sent me a text saying, "First of all, I'm going to be okay." Well you know conversations that start like that are never good! She's had a mild stroke and was in the hospital. She's a little weak on her left side so the doctors kept her over night but it seems she'll completely recover. 

Man, stuff like this... even though it's not happening directly to you, it still affects you emotionally. My prayers are going out to all these friends and family.