It’s a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.

All that re-fixing, reheating, renewing,

I thought sometimes that just once, couldn’t I be wasteful.

Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away...

Meant you knew there'd always be more.

But then my Wife died,

on that beautiful sunny, but chilly March 5^th day of 2004, in the afternoon,
in the warmth of our home in her bedroom,

in her rocking chair where she loved to look out the window and rest.

She was thirsty - I knelt before her and handed her a glass of cool water - she took a small sip - handed back the glass with her gentle, loving smile of thanks. In a second or two she laid her head back and stopped breathing.

I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes the one

who has given her family intense love in such great abundance...isn't there anymore.

Sometimes, what we care about most

Just gets all used up and goes away...

So...while we have something...

Especially someone...

It's best we LOVE...and CARE...
Fix when broken...

Heal best we can when sick.

This is true for marriage,

Old cars...

Children with bad report cards...

Dogs with bad hips...

Aging spouses, parents...

Ailing grandparents with only remnants of once beautiful minds.

We keep them because they are worth it,

Because we are only worth...what we keep.

There are just some things that make life important,

Like people we know who are SPECIAL...

And so, we must keep them close…

--Dear God, please keep my eyes and my ears open wide,

my feeling of what I touch, sensitive, my mind strong,

so I may better recognize new blessings that come my way,

and better remember the old...

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