Happy New Year

I learned years ago that most New Years Resolutions are broken. With that knowledge I then decided that to start a new year with resolutions that won't be accomplished, but instead will be left to fall along the side of the path as we journey through the year is just not right. Why would I intentionally set myself up to fail? Instead I take each day as it comes to me and I try to make the best of what each day brings instead of making New Years Resolutions..

Taryn spent the night with us last night. She has been with us for the past 4 years to welcome in the New Year. It has become a tradition with us, a tradition that we look forward to. I am hoping that she will have warm memories of this as she grows older. I know G'pa and G'ma will.

We are wishing Britt a Happy Birthday today. She is 17 years old now. I just don't know where the time has gone. It has become a tradition for her to go shopping with her mother on her birthday and have a nice lunch while they are out. It seems like only yesterday that her Great Grandma and I would take her shopping and instead of putting her in a shopping cart we pushed her around in her stroller. We were constantly back tracking looking for her shoes that she insisted on taking off and tossing them to the side as we strolled along. She still prefers being barefoot to wearing shoes.

Later today we will find our way off of the ridge and go to Chris and Melody's for New Years Dinner and all of the traditional 'Good Luck' foods. I am in charge of making the fried cabbage....... Yum! (Right Melody?)

"Friendship is the bridge between two human beings."
"Friendship is the bridge between Heaven and earth."
"Friendship is the bridge between the known and the unknown."

~ Sri Chinmoy


Happy New Year !

May we all be blessed with the warmth and love of friendship,
good health and good fortune through out the New Year.

Storms

I want to thank everyone that has offered up prayers for my friend Jackie. We learned recently that she is going for radiation treatments 5 times a week and that the cancer is now attacking every part of her body. The doctors have told her that she can expect to live another 6 months or perhaps a year.

I watched cancer steal my mother away 8 years ago. The cancer would sneak in and take a little bit of her away at a time. First it was her independence followed closely with no longer being able to control her thoughts and speak what was in her heart and on her mind. Next came her ability to walk. After many months of watching her become a shell of a body that once was my mother, I watched as the light left my mother's eyes and was replaced with an empty stare. I was at her bedside when she took her last breath before going on to her reward.

How cruel this disease is to those that it attacks. It doesn't discriminate, it doesn't matter to cancer the age, race or religion of it's victims. All the money in the world can not change your destiny if cancer has chosen you as it's next victim. I would venture to say that everyone has lost at least one loved one or someone they know to cancer.

Please continue to remember Jackie and her family in your prayers. I will continue my prayers for Jackie in the hope that there is a miracle out there with her name on it. In case there isn't a miracle for her, then I will pray that our Father will ease her pain as she waits to join Him.

The Joys And Tears Of Friendship

Have you ever had a friend that is always there exactly when you need a friend the most? How about a friend that no matter how screwed up you sometimes are, she is by your side offering unconditional love and understanding? I have such a friend and her name is Jackie. She has been the sister to me that I have always dreamed of having. When I was going through my divorce and between the stress and the Prozac, my mind was telling me I would be better off to just go to sleep and never wake up. Jackie was there to talk me in off of the ledge so to speak. Not only was she there for me at that time, but she lined up a group of friends up who loaded me down with so much love and support and gave me the strength that I needed to see me through that nightmare.


Our friendship consist of more than the stormy weather love and support. We have had our share of good times and laughs. On one of Jackie's visits to Ohio, I took her on a tour of our countryside. I pointed out the cows grazing on the hillside and told her that we grow lop-legged cows here. Two of their legs are shorter than the other two. This is necessary so they don't tumble down the side of the hill. We had a good laugh over that. To this day every time I see cows grazing on a hillside I think of Jackie. Then there was the time that she commented that I was a loyal friend much like a good dog is loyal. I told her that it was all because she handed out such good ear scratchings.


About 6 years ago she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She fought the battle of her life. Once diagnosed as being cancer free, the colon cancer did not come back. Recently she was having a problem with her knee and leg and went to the Dr. to try and find out what was causing the problem. After x-rays, MRI's and bone scans she went to the Dr. in Atlanta Thursday, the 3rd for results. She was told that she now has bone cancer. The Dr. directly admitted to Emory Hospital and Jackie went through a 3 hour surgery on Friday, the 4th. I am asking you to please offer up prayers for Jackie and to place her name on as many prayer groups as you can. She needs as much strength as she can muster to get through this. Her battle with the colon cancer took it's toll on her and she still wasn't back to 100% when she was hit with the news of the bone cancer. It would be easy to throw in the towel and give up, but I know that God answers prayer and he is in the healing business.

May your week bring you many blessings.

Meaningful Monday

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," "he said as he struggled to get off the escalator.

I'll admit to it. There have been times when walking or driving behind an older person I've gotten impatient and upset. I've huffed and zoomed around them because I was in a hurry to get nowhere. Perhaps I'm more aware of it now because I see myself there one day soon. Today I saw myself in this old man's shoes and it caused me toslow down, stop and ask for his forgiveness.

He was about five or six people ahead of me. I was in a hurry and saw him as an obstacle. I've seen people get off the end of an escalator and stop dead in their tracks, gather their things and suddenly there's a pile up of angry people behind them. You can't stop an escalator full of people behind you. Like the Energizer bunny, they keep on goin'.

This man was well aware of the challenge. He tried desperately to step aside. Fumbling with his small packages, struggling to gain his footing, youcould see how troubling this was for him. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me! I don't mean to hold you up," he said as he struggled to get off the escalator.

I suddenly saw this in a whole new light. It was like I was watching my future. I felt sorry for him. I felt sick to my stomach because this man was apologizing to everyone, when we should have been helping him and calming his fears.

One by one, people zipped around him. I heard a few angry comments whispered as one lady passed by him.

I saw me.

By the time I got to him he was just about steady on his feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was more," he said.

"No, sir. No more with me," I said. This really hit me hard. I realized right then how sad it was that the world was in such a hurry. That, of course, included me. But...no more with me. Count me out.

This wonderful man paid his dues. For whatever time he had spent on this earth, he most likely walked many rough roads and too many important miles. Now he should be apologizing for moving slower?

My heart ached as I looked into his eyes. I wished that I could see what he had seen all those years. His face weathered from life itself, was creasedAnd wrinkled. The small soft pockets under his eyes and the gentle lines that curved up and around them told me he had many happy moments, too. Those were traces left behind from laughter and a smiling, happy man.

"My friend, can I help you with those things?" I asked.

Hesitant at first, he finally said, "Well, yes, thank you!"

I placed my hand under his left arm and walked with him a safe distance away from the rush of people.

"So what are you shopping for, sir?"

"Oh, just a little something for my neighbor. She's a young mother raising kids on her own. She's always so nice to me. I thought a box of candy for Mother's Day..." he said, stopping suddenly as he searched his inside pocket of his sport coat.

"Do you need something?" I asked.

"Oh, no. Here. I think I have it right here. I always carry them with me," he said. Then pulling out a hand full of papers he shuffled through them and handed me a business card that read: "John A. Pomicter Friend to all...enemy to no one! I said a prayer today and you were the answer. Thank you!"

"That's for you," he said. "Thanks for stopping tohelp an old man."

"My friend, you helped me. I discovered that I was unhappy with the world and I was part of the problem. Now I'll be part of the solution. No more with me!"

"Then this was meant to be," he said smiling.

"You know God sends me gifts every day and always at least one special person. You were my gift for today! Let's go get some chocolates, my Friend."

-- Author Unknown