Meet Kitty, my mom’s 28lb cat. Yes, 28 pounds! He’s been a great source of comfort and entertainment to my mom and dad for the past 17 months while my dad fought lung cancer. Kitty will continue to be a great companion to my mom since my dad has gone home to his eternal rest. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers.
We just got home from the 22 hour drive from South Dakota where I was without cell phone reception and internet access for the week I was on the farm. I can’t tell you how overwhelmed I was when I logged onto my home computer and read all the messages of love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am truly touched and humbled by your concern.
Today’s brief newsletter is my reflection on the new beginnings that come from perceived endings. There are times in our lives when endings feel like the end of the world. The death of loved ones, not winning something you’ve prepared for, or relationships ending that you thought would last forever are just a few examples of events that may leave you feeling empty, angry or numb. It’s natural to want to blame other people, circumstances and things for the pain you may experience. But for you to have new beginnings that lead to greater, fuller opportunities some things must end even if it is painful at first.
Being raised on a farm, I saw evidence of this time and time again as we grew a vegetable garden and cleared out the trees around our home. Whenever we pruned the dead or scraggly parts of the plant, the rest of the plant grew bigger, healthier and produce more fruit than those we didn’t prune. In all things, there are times when we need to let go to become the fully productive person that God intended us to be.
The two blessings I received from my dad’s cancer was, first, a greater appreciation of time. Once I got over the shocking news that my dad had stage 4 cancer and had 6 months to live, I thought why do people wait until the funeral to say wonderful thoughts and feelings about their loved one. If the feelings are so important and genuine, why not say it to them while they are still alive.
So back in March, I wrote my dad a very lengthy letter filled with all the things I wanted him to know and I mailed it to him. In following conversations, he frequently told me how much he appreciated that letter, how he read it multiple times and how it helped him to have closure with certain things in his life.
By writing that letter, it allowed past hurts and misinterpretations between us to end. The result was the times we had together from that point on were of a higher quality than before.
The second blessing was that my mom and all four of us kids made it home in time and were beside my dad when he took his last breath. It was a peaceful and beautiful ending to his human life. He turned 70 on May 16th and went home to Heaven on May 17th at 12:55am.
Endings can be painful, but know that within them lie the seeds of new life.
Blessings,
Rhonda
