We're home! After spending 3 months in the Sunshine state we're back home. Danny and I managed to escape the Cold weather, but not our health Issues. Our maladies tagged along. Danny's high blood pressure landed Him in the hospital for 2 nights. I was treated for a UTI, and my Hip bursitis flared up. For weeks I could barely walk. And yet, the view from our little Lanai was lovely. We enjoyed our critters, tiny ones, Feathered ones, twelve foot long ones. (We named our alligator "Albert.") God found us a small church where we Met friends and where our pastor Preached powerful sermons. We cruised around Naples, amazed at The mansions, but so thankful they Weren't ours to care for. We dined on several waterfronts. And we decided that just about every Oldster in the USA and beyond descends On Marco Island during the winter Months. We learned what it means to be "In season." We also discovered that God had lined Up divine appointments for us, Delightful ones. In retrospect, despite our health woes, Our stay in Florida was worthwhile. Indeed, if one must ail, why not Suffer where it's warm? (Nevertheless, I am so so thankful to Be home.) |
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As Danny and his daughter were
Chatting on the phone reminiscing, She told him, "One of the greatest lessons I Learned from you and Mom was how to Face adversity. Our family endured lots of Hard experiences, but you both taught us to Pray and trust God to get us through them, And He did." Her words were encouraging. We try so hard to shield our kids from Trials, and yet it is facing them with Courage and faith that prepares our Children for the harsh realities of Life. Hardship is inevitable. To persevere with hope is a Powerful example we can leave our Kids, a legacy that will never Depreciate, a legacy that will last. I was waiting for Danny to complete his
Monthly immunoglobulin infusion. I had gone along to the center this Time since we needed to run Errands afterwards. I decided to zip up to Burger King for A cup of coffee. I eyed the menu and noticed the Picture of the sausage biscuit. I wouldn't dare. I eat healthy now. But I remembered the flavor from Years past; the savory sausage patty, The luscious buttery biscuit. And I caved. "I'd like a coffee and a sausage biscuit," I Heard myself tell the smiling cashier. I ate the greasy sandwich in the car, the Biscuit crumbling as I bit into it. But it was yummy, oh so tasty, just as I remembered it. I ate every crumb. At first I felt guilty. I felt ashamed at my lack of restraint. But then I told myself, "Take heart, Dorothy. You'll get back on track by suppertime. You know how disciplined you are." I gave myself permission to just Enjoy it. In a few years I'll indulge myself again. I'll tell the smiling lady, "I'd like a coffee and a Sausage biscuit please." The old gospel song came to mind during my
Quiet time. We often sang it in our small country church, the Brick building now gone, but in my mind it Lives on. "Take your burden to the Lord and Leave it there." The farm folk in our congregation certainly Carried lots of burdens, weather woes, pest foes, Power outages during milking time, sick animals, Injuries, family upheaval. We still are burdened down with burdens, Perhaps different in nature, but many Similar. This morning as I was praying earnestly for A loved one in distress, the old hymn came to Mind. But the lyrics aren't simple ones to Live out. I easily take my burden to the Lord, but The hard part is leaving it there. From marriage to moving to a
New home to breaking my Femur, this year has been one of Upheaval. I guess that pretty much sums up Life. We vacillate from the sublime to Simply struggling to survive. I'm glad God hides our future From us. Otherwise, our joy would be Diminished and our fears magnified. I'm glad He gives us enough light For the next step and the next and The next. I can face 2024 with hope as I Trust my Father to guide me, no Matter what surprises lie Ahead. And I'm grateful for the hard Lesson I've learned this last Year, to never, ever again Chase chickens. This article still speaks to me. I’ve certainly had changes in my life this year. Perhaps you as well.
I wrote this article in 1992. I'm sharing excerpts from it thinking that some of you may be struggling with these same issues. It was Christmas Eve. The cars were backed up for miles on the Florida interstate. If it hadn't been for the carols we were singing along with the car radio, we wouldn't have had any outward indication that Christmas was the next day. Spending the holidays with my brother was a first for us, breaking a tradition we had began 20 years before when we were first married. We always spent Christmas at home. Always. At one time I would have felt guilty about breaking such a long standing tradition. In fact, it seemed like I felt guilty every year as I read articles telling me how vital traditions are for children. I had tried to establish special ones. When we went to a tree farm to cut down our tree one year, I thought we had begun a delightful tradition. But we couldn't continue it more than three or four years because of our schedules. Other ideas, such as making handmade gifts for friends, or preparing particular Christmas foods fizzled out too. I always felt like my family didn't quite measure up. In my mind, a tradition wasn't meaningful unless it continued practically forever. But as I sang carols in a traffic jam on the Florida turnpike, I no longer felt guilty. I had gained a proper perspective of traditions. Certainly I realize they are valuable. They give a child a sense of security in a sometimes frightening world. And for adults, traditions give a continuity, a link to the past, a sense of belonging. It brings pleasure to pass a heritage on to our children. But just as surely as they are valuable, traditions that are maintained too rigidly can be harmful. Why? Because at some point they must surely be broken. For my children, it happened early in their lives. During the year they turned five and seven, their father unexpectedly died. He wasn't with us that Christmas to cut the tree, hang out the lights, or take the annual holiday photos. The three of us were forced to do things differently. It was the most difficult Christmas we will ever experience. I still tear up thinking about it. Most families won't be faced with such sudden traumatic experiences, but there will be a time of loss. A child will leave home and be unable to get back home for the holidays. Or Grandma will be too frail to have the traditional meal at her house. Teenagers will outgrow practices such as decorating their own small trees or opening the doors of an advent calendar. Even happy events, such as marriage, can cause upheavals. A young bride wants to carry on her families' tradition of a candlelit dinner on Christmas eve while her husband wants to be with his own family. Compromises must be worked out. As surely as each year passes, circumstances change. And if we insist that holiday events must always be done a certain way, we set ourselves up for heartache. An elderly widow expressed the agony she experienced when she forced herself to put up a tree after her husband died. Removing the familiar ornaments from their boxes brought back a flood of memories of Christmases past when her family was together. "The tree brought only sorrow," she said. "I will never subject myself to such misery again." I suspect that much of the depression many people experience during the holidays is related to impossible expectations. We want to experience the excitement we felt as children. We want things to stay the same, but they simply cannot. The solution is not to drop traditions altogether, but to view them realistically. Rather than thinking of them in terms of lasting a lifetime, we should expect them to change a number of times over the years. The attitude we should convey to our children is: This is the way we do it now, but change is okay. In fact, it's helpful to occasionally try something new. Being flexible rather than rigid about traditions will free us from feeling guilty when we spend Christmas Eve in a traffic jam on the Florida turnpike. We won't mind when we establish a new tradition, continue it for several years, and then are unable to maintain it. We will realize it is all right to switch to an artificial tree or get to the point when we cannot put one up at all. It is good to make traditions. But is is also good at the proper time to break them. The receptionist at my doctor's
Office was overwhelmed and Discouraged, so I hatched a plan. In two days I needed to Return for a blood draw, so I decided to take a treat for her. But what? Candy? No. Blueberry muffins? Yes. Sadly, when I prepared them I Goofed up. I tried to remedy my misstep, but The muffins weren't nicely Rounded on the top and the Texture was imperfect. It was too late to start over. "Take them anyway," Danny said, "Nothing's perfect. And it's the Thought that matters." I took my hubby's advice. I drizzled frosting over the Muffins to distract from their Lumpy tops. And I stuck them in a bag along with An encouraging poem. Alas! When I arrived for my blood draw, the Receptionist was absent and the Lady filling in for her was new and Apologetic. "You're doing fine," I assured her. I handed her the goodie bag and Said, "Share these with your Hard working coworkers." "Thank you so much," she responded. "And I'll make sure the other gal Gets hers tomorrow." I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that My plan had gone awry. But I hope Danny was right. I pray that my warm thoughts will Make up for my imperfect muffins.
Our visit to Danny's Michigan family was
Idyllic, until it wasn't. Three of Carla's swift chickens flew the Coop, and in chasing them, I Fell to the pavement. The result? Urgent care. An ambulance ride to the hospital. (For Danny, too, since his blood Pressure skyrocketed.) He on the cardiac floor. I on the ortho. A fractured femur repaired. All our plans upended. But the old adage applied. "There are no interruptions, only Opportunities." Opportunities to share with the Ambulance attendant, the fellow who Pushed me to the OR, the sweet Nurse who shared her heart. Everyone had a story. I listened. And they listened to mine. News of us spread. "You're the lady who chased the Chickens. And your husband's here Too. And you're newlyweds." All true. But we're back home now and on The mend. And frankly, I hope my life gets Back to boring. |
Dorothy Kalb Hsu Seitzinger
Writing poetry has helped me process and express my sorrows and joys, my concerns and blessings. "Life is hard, but God is good!" Archives
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