Less Is More

January is a long, cold month, huh? And it has begun particularly harsh given the recent events. When I say that please don't think that I am not filled with gratitude for the outcomes to my sister's unexpected heart attack and having two blocked arteries requiring clearing and stents. Her recovery is miraculous and her life is so precious. Her voice, like I wrote the other day, was like music from heaven when we spoke. And her reaching to the frightened and angry woman and sharing of similar loss and understanding is yet another phenomenon to behold, embrace, and sing praise.

Please allow me to delve deeper now - to share about the uncertainties, the harshness at times, the difficult realities and the challenge to move forward gracefully, faithfully, with peace and hope and promise. That outlook is not a given, it is strived for, designed, often fought for and sometimes it feel unattainable. My sister said she has nothing left with which to cope as she recovers so to get back to "her life" which is upside down at best. She has been tired for years since her son died - she has held her family together during their deepest grief and her husband too who leaned on her every day. And then he became ill and she cared for him right up until he took his last breath - made sure he saw his last sunrise - his favorite music sending him off and beyond - and she carried on. Until last Saturday when her heart said, "Enough".

As I watch, and embrace, and feel, and experience her in all of this I am profoundly effected. We carry each others lives in our own - when I was being diagnosed, she was me, I was her - there is no dividing line at times, not any we can see or feel anyway. I feel a bit weakened this go-round as my own health can not sustain her or hold her up as I have in times of need before my diagnosis. I have been wrestling with this since Saturday. And then I realized that she is weakened too, should I, God forbid, ever need her again for some traumatic event in my life. And then I thought, what does weakened really mean? Less love? No way. Less hope? No way. Less understanding? No way. Less kindness? No way. I guess my point is, less is more, or less is enough. We will adjust and be appreciative of whatever we each can and cannot do for one another knowing that the best we give is the most we have. Yes, the best we give is the most we have. I am not a good 'Bible/scripture' quoter but there is a story about a person who gave his or her last few coins to Jesus and because this person gave all of what they had it was worth more than the richest who gave much more in monetary value but far less in sacrificial giving. Jesus was way more impressed with the sacrifice.

Even as of late whenever I do things for my Mom or Sis they are so appreciative because they know it is not without effort and sacrifice. I started this post with the word 'harsh' to describe how this month, the first month of 2010 began - and perhaps that is still true - my sister's reality is quite harsh. I also believe this first month of 2010 is an 'awakening' that reminds us that less is more - only if we allow it to be so. As with most else, it is up to us.


The song below is sung by one of Clayton's favorite artists - Clayton is my sister's son who died.








I love you all