Blessed to be a blessing is more than words....

Over the last few weeks, I have been playing piano in a small, rural church on Sunday mornings.  They are lovely people, warm and welcoming, and it has been a genuine pleasure to play for them.  They have been gracious in their thankfulness, and I appreciate that it comes from their heart. I am glad that I could help out in their time of need.

But, unbeknownst to them, the true gift was from them to me, and there has been a much needed lesson in this experience.  I have talked often about the impact of our actions upon others, but I now see the whole thing from a slightly different angle.  That small change is a quantum shift in my understanding which I will carry forward for the rest of my life.

Sympathies and prayers....

Mother Nature is raging right now in the United States.  Floods in Texas and Louisiana have killed dozens, and left thousands without anything other than the clothes on their backs.  Another hurricane is potentially heading for the east coast, causing fear over what to do and how to prepare.  Fires out west are consuming thousands of acres, also leaving people without anything to their name.

There are no words in that situation.  However much I wish to console, to uplift, to encourage, each one has to walk their path and take their journey through this dark time.

So I will just wish you comfort in the trial.  I offer prayers for your relief.  I have donated to help supply your needs.  Many people are thinking of you as you struggle to begin again.  You are not alone.  You are not forgotten.

With love and all best wishes from Minnesota.

The Value of One....

Facebook these days is a mishmash of cartoons, political statements, advertisements for whatever you last googled, (am I the only one out here in reality world that finds that creepy?) photos of people's kids, dogs, spouses or meals, and very occasionally, a post that is truly inspiring.  I read one of those posts today, written by a mom who wanted to give heartfelt thanks to someone who had made a difference in her child's life.

She is, rightfully, proud of her child, and for all the right reasons.  But she also wanted to recognize the role played by her child's teachers, because she understood they were crucial to her child's success, and more importantly, to her child's sense of self-worth.  She has no idea how right she is.

I have been thinking about that post all day, because it hit a chord down deep inside me.  I have always been... shall we say... athletically challenged.  I cannot make sense of a ball, whether it is in my hand, on the ground, in the air, or anywhere else.  If I run too hard, I get exercise induced asthma and cannot breathe.  I broke my foot playing soccer in elementary PE because I am a klutz.  I can't dance, I can't jump without losing my balance, and I am hopeless at games of any kind.  I am uncoordinated and I can't Just Do It, no matter how much I may want to, or how hard I try.

Remembrance....

The ads have flooded the mailbox, sales await eager shoppers, barbecue grills are loaded and ready to go, food is purchased, potato salad is made, and people are swarming the lakes and byways of the country, ready to celebrate another federal holiday.  Although Franklin Roosevelt declared we would never forget the Day of Infamy, in fact, in just a generation or two, we have almost completely forgotten what it meant to lose young men and women by the thousands over a nightmare vision of how the world should be.

Far from the focus on those who left and returned only to be buried in their hometown cemeteries, or harsher yet, never returned at all, we have sanitized and white washed and almost completely forgotten what Memorial Day really means to those who have fought for our right to eat burgers and brats in a swimsuit by the lake with the beer flowing and tears no where in sight.  And more importantly, who upheld the values enumerated in the Constitution - life, liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to gather and protest and vote - all the rights conferred upon us simply by being American citizens.

Faithful....

Faithful is big word.  It is defined by Merriam Webster as:

"Steadfast in affection or allegiance, firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty, given with strong assurance and true to the facts, to a standard or to an original."

No one on earth better exemplifies this than my Aunt Marian, who passed away yesterday at the age of 95.  For every single one of her many long years, she was faithful to God, to her family, and to herself.  What an immense legacy she has left to those of us who mourn today.  It is difficult to even find words for all she has accomplished in her quiet life.