A visit and some wisdom

Our adorable grand daughter Alaura came for a visit with her Dad and his fiance'.  This is Skipp's eldest son Adam and his daughter Alaura..  It was a lovely visit,
exhausting and lovely.

The New Year has come in with force and also calm.  New Years Eve my Mom was rushed to the ER because her dialysis port broke down - they fixed it temporarily and today she had the surgery to repair it.  Phew.  She is very brave and so wonderful.  Gosh, I love her so.......  :-)

As I sat at our dining room table today and looked out at the woods, the brook and the variety of birds gathering at our feeders I felt at peace, blessed, lucky even.  We were having coffee and writing out our bills and I thought of the timing of things and how I am fortunate to have long term disability income in addition to my social security disability.  When I first became employed at the in-patient treatment facility after graduating college a tad later in life they offered a company paid long term disability plan along with the health benefit package.  They only offered it for two years and then any one hired after that was not offered the disability insurance and those who already had it were able to keep it.  I remember when the company informed their employees  of this add-on benefit.  I wrote to the President and thanked him for this generous benefit and that although I hoped I never would need it I felt so secure knowing it was there for me if I ever did need it. Then, some 8 years later I am benefiting from this long term disability income after I was unable to work full time and eventually retired.   I will continue to receive this benefit until age of retirement which right now is 66 and if it is raised to 68 or 70 the disability carries on.  Amazing huh?  Clearly, there was a plan in place of a greater power than myself overseeing outcomes.As I reflect on so many events this powerful reality becomes clearer and clearer.

Also, as part of my career in substance abuse I was referred to a couple who are both doctors  and whose son was struggling with addiction.  I counseled them for two+ years.  During that time my Mom became ill with kidney disease.  One of the doctors is a kidney specialist and paved the way for my Mom to receive the best treatment possible.  We were given cell phone numbers and home phone numbers of her team of kidney specialists during the diagnostic and treatment decision process.  The relief in that was so wonderful.  Again,  a plan and outcomes were being overseen by a power far greater than myself.

As I look back at all the twists and turns in my life, the mistakes, the celebrations, the joys and sorrows, all the choices I made and all that happened to me not of my choosing as well I can see and understand the "whys' of it all, well, most of it.  I am not sure why I was diagnosed with MS - what the lesson is or where it is suppose to take me in the grander scheme of things. One thing is for sure.  If I never was diagnosed and I stayed working full time I never would have started this blog.  So, one of the good outcomes is I met all of you.  :-)

The choices and events that led Skipp and me to one another is by far the greatest supreme plan of all.  How we ever ended up  together is nothing short of a miracle and planned by a powerful loving force way beyond us.   All the tears and struggles we both endured were necessary steps on our way to one another.  As we both look back and realize all that happened on our way to one another we are more than
bold ed over with both wonder and humbling gratitude.

   I always loved this song and looked for it by Barbara Streisand but to no avail.  Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.  And I hope too that as you look back over your lives thus far that you understand that each choice, each event, everything that has happened not of your choosing are all part of a greater plan overseen by a loving force.   As I wonder about certain things happening now and I cannot see yet their purpose in the grander scheme I am comforted in knowing that there is a reason and in believing that I am able to surrender more gently to a truth far beyond my reach.  Hallelujah