Thoughts of the Moment

I came across this quote this morning, on someone else's blog: Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. - Francis Bacon

So, I will attempt to do that this morning. Some of these thoughts have been racing through my head, chasing away sleep. Some thoughts are more memories than anything; still, they seem to be asking to be put into type/print....

Before we lived where we are now, we lived in Florida, with my folks. Even though the situation wasn't ideal (living in a tiny RV in their backyard), it was still nice being close to my folks. The bond that developed between my children and their grandparents is so sweet, so precious, so strong now. The only problem now is, my folks miss us, and we, them, more than ever before! 

Some of the precious friends we made there, too, are very missed. Sometimes the pain of separation is so strong, our lonesomeness for them so powerful, it takes our breath away....literally.

While we were there, the children and I started listening to TheJoyFM a lot, especially in our traveling to and from my youngest's therapy. We enjoyed listening to Dave, Bill, and Carmen on the Morning Cruse; a great way to wake up each morning!

One August day, when they were collecting shoes to take to an orphanage in Guatemala (I think it was), we had the opportunity to meet the Morning Cruse team when we took some shoes in to the drop off location.

I found out a year or so ago, that my husband sort of knew Dave Cruse on a professional level, since my husband is also in the broadcast industry...And they both are Baton Rouge "boys".

Even though we now live over here (actually, not too far from Baton Rouge), sometimes I like to listen to The JoyFM online...as I am this morning. And my teens and I "follow" The Morning Cruse on Facebook. Yesterday I learned that Dave Cruse's father passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. Then I read his blog. My heart aches and empathizes with him and his family, and my prayers go up for them, and everyone at The JoyFM; I know when one member of a family is hurting, the whole family hurts.

This incident set my mind spinning off on memories of my own.

Dave Cruse is about my age, or my younger brother's, best I figure. So I figured his dad to be about my dad's age. Found out today, his dad was 72; my dad is 75. My dad has had two heart attacks; has had 5 stents placed in his heart. The last time he had the procedure done, I went home to be with my mom, because my dad wasn't sure what the doctors might find; perhaps they would need to do open heart surgery....

When he had his second heart attack, I flew from Montana, to be with my mom. My now-11-year-old was only about 6 months old, and flew with me.....And when we got back to Montana, it was snowing!! Memorial Day weekend!!

My thoughts also wandered (raced...) to thoughts of loved ones we have lost in our family.

I still clearly remember when my dad got word his mother had passed away, unexpectedly. I was 14. My daddy stood there, with the phone to his ear....and broke out in a cold sweat. Immediately, shock. It was the end of February; the service would take place in northern Wisconsin.

Another unexpected phone call arrived about 3 weeks before my first wedding. I was at work, at a small vegetarian restaurant, when my mom called me crying nearly hysterically, saying she had just received word that her only sibling, my uncle, had died in a car accident. I immediately left work to go home to her, because my dad wasn't home at the moment. So we started my wedding month attending a funeral. Then the last day of our honeymoon, we got word that my new husband's grandfather had passed away! So barely a month after my uncle's funeral, we were attending another one.

Twelve years ago I received the devastating news about my beloved grandfather. I was at church for a health seminar. I just remember collapsing to the floor with the phone in my hand, saying, "Noooooooooooooooo!" Shock waves............ No one at that church seemed to comprehend how close I was to my grandfather, how beloved he was to my whole family. He was a very special man; one of the most intelligent men I have known. The memorial service was the day after Christmas; I sang "It is Well" at the service....

While we were living with my folks, in one year, my dad lost his three remaining siblings, and nearly lost a niece and nephew. A year ago, we were basically watching one of my beloved cousin's die, from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. My brother's wife also lost her father a year ago.

So I have learned to treasure each moment with my loved ones. We just don't know how many moments we have left. And it is amazing how the littlest thing can trigger memories....memories from decades ago, from childhood....

Yesterday while the kids and I were at the store, I saw packages of Ice Cubes! My daddy used to buy these occasionally when I was a kid. I didn't know they still made them; I hadn't seen any in decades, until yesterday!!

So, believe it or not, these little Ice Cubes, along with hearing about Dave Cruse's father, triggered this long, maybe seemingly-pointless, rambly, post.....

What are some things that have unexpectedly triggered childhood memories for you? What memories do you treasure of those who have been laid to rest in Jesus?...How I am longing for the soon return of our Lord, to be reunited with those whom we dearly loved..... Pin It Now!