Life is short. This theme ran through the last week at the Deitz house during this Thanksgiving holiday.
First, Neal’s cousin lost his wife the weekend before Thanksgiving unexpectedly to what we believe was an aneurysm. Second, we spent time with friends of ours who’d lost their son suddenly earlier in the year and third, a dear friend of ours lost a childhood friend this week to cancer. The conversation throughout the week was often on how sudden life can take that turn and be done for one, forever changed for another.
Not only was there unexpected and sudden loss there were many who came to our home suffering the stress and anxiety of parents battling long term illness, chemo and other life-altering issues.
To be honest, I was worried about heading into the week with so many freshly bruised from loss and heartache. How could we make it a time for everyone to feel supported, loved, nurtured and able to carry on?
Turns out all we had to do was open our doors, show them we care and, as I’m often asking others to do, listen. There were moments of tears but in the same turn there was enough laughter to remind everyone that because life is short then we need to be serious about making the most of what we’ve been given. That means our time, our talent, and our treasure.
Personally, I feel I’ve wasted precious time trying so hard to get others to see me a certain way, convince them I’m worthy of their respect or love, and begging to acknowledge how I respect and love them.
This week I witnessed mutual love given and received between the gaps in generations and felt a release of tension. Life is too short to force respect or expect approval in order to feel alive and whole. When we are all kind to one another, accepting each person’s individuality and forgiving one another’s fallibility then life is a much much happier place.
This was probably one of the best Thanksgiving Holiday’s we’ve had in a long time and I think it’s because there was so much vulnerability there was no room for the harsh facades. Thank God. 😉
I pray you all had a blessed Thanksgiving as well. I look forward to these next weeks of Advent and growing closer spiritually to Jesus as He and I celebrate another year together.
Blessings
Shannon