#28 - Eternity

Thankful Challenge #28 - As of this morning, it has officially been a year since my dad had the spinal hemorrhage that first signaled his impending death. Since Thanksgiving was on November 22 last year we actually have two anniversaries that mark that day. I have a feeling in years to come we will likely associate Thanksgiving Day with that event even more so than November 22. In any case, either way we count it has been a year now.

Over the past month, I have had a chance to recognize and reflect on the multitude of things I am thankful for in my life. Some are more significant than others but identifying and recognizing all of them has helped me reclaim Thanksgiving which was one of my main goals of writing. This is my final entry in this series. It seems fitting to end this on Thanksgiving Day when we gather together to give thanks and enjoy the company of family.

One person will be missing from our celebration today. Dad won't be there because he is at an eternal celebration in heaven. When we sit down as a family for our Thanksgiving meal we will miss him terribly, but we all take comfort and find great joy that one day we will see him again. It is our faith in Christ and our certainty of eternal life that allow us this comfort and joy.

And so, for today and for this season of Thanksgiving I am most thankful for eternity through salvation made possible by Jesus' death on the cross. Heaven is our ultimate home, and one day we will all gather around the throne of Christ as we give thanks to Him forever. Happy Thanksgiving!

#27 - Vacations

Thankful Challenge #27 - Just like surprises, vacations can add variety and excitement to life. Some of our most cherished times as a family have been on vacations. There is something about being away from home and out of our normal routine that allows us to connect on a deeper level with one another. I am thankful for the awesome memories that vacations have provided through the years. Here are a few of those memories...

Lee and the girls were exploring the First Flight Museum in
Kill Devil Hills, NC. Lee's great uncle was the photographer
at the first flight and is memorialized by this statue.

We go to the beach every summer, so our girls
have grown up playing in the ocean.  They love it!

We love to explore new places together!  Here we are on top of the
St. Louis Arch.

We love Disney World!  Lee and the girls were posing in Mexico at Epcot.

We had the trip of a lifetime this summer when we traveled to
Europe for two weeks. We are standing on the banks of
 Lake Geneva in Switzerland with the Alps in the background.

#25 - Surprises!

Thankful Challenge #26 - I love surprises (good ones of course), and I am thankful for the joy they can add to our days! When life gets routine, I adore planning a surprise for someone I love. I have three great ones waiting in the wings this week. Shhh...don't tell!

#25 - Home

Thankful Challenge #25 - I love my home!  It isn't particularly grand or impressive, but it is warm and inviting.  After a long day at work I am always happy to head towards home!  I especially love my home at Christmas, and I can't wait to start decorating after Thanksgiving.  Today I am thankful for a warm place to call home and a family who feels my home with life!

We don't get much snow where we live, so we are always excited when a good snowstorm comes our way!

#24 - Friends

Thankful Challenge #24 - Throughout my life I have been blessed with some fantastic friends! Though many of them I do not see very often, I know that when we do see each other we will have a wonderful reunion, and I also know that if I need them all I have to do is call.  I hope they know the same about me. Our friendships have been forged by going through the trials and blessings of life together. Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friends loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Today I am thankful for the love of dear friends!

#23 - Mom

Thankful Challenge #23 - I can't mention my dad without also mentioning my mom.  They were married for 50 1/2 years!!!  They got married when she was 18 and he was 21, so they really did grow up together. Last Thanksgiving Day when Dad got sick, all of the dreams they had for their retirement vanished.  Mom stood by Dad's side throughout his 2 months in the hospital and 3 months in a rehab facility.  She was tireless in her efforts to advocate for him and assure that he receive the best care possible.  Then, in April, she brought him home so he could spend his last days on earth in the place he loved most.  He required complete care, and she did it all...turning him, changing him, dressing his wounds...everything.  Most importantly, when it became obvious that he wasn't going to recover and instead was going to leave this earth far sooner than any of us had imagined, she loved him right to the gates of heaven.  He went to be with Jesus with Mom right by his side - faithful to the end.  Watching Mom care for Dad for eight months was the greatest example of love I have ever witnessed.

The way Mom cared for Dad is the way she has cared for our family throughout the years.  She is a nurturer at heart, and she shines in her ability to care for others. She was with me, Shelly, and Paige when we welcomed our children to this world and took wonderful care of both the babies and the new mommies. When people are sick or hurting, she knows just what to do.  I am so thankful for Mom and the way she blesses our family!

I love this picture of Mom and Dad!
  Christmas 2009

#22 - Dad

Thankful Challenge #22 - One year ago today (which was also Thanksgiving Day) I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing at 6:45 a.m.  Little did I know that that ring would forever signal to me before...and after.  Although we didn't know it at the time my dad had suffered a spontaneous spinal hemorrhage that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Likely a result from a mass in his aorta, the hemorrhage signaled the beginning of the end for Dad. Over the next eight months Dad would suffer tremendously as he endured countless complications and symptoms that never had a definitive diagnosis.  At the end, we all felt (doctors included) that he probably had some type of cancer.  When it was suggested to run yet some more tests last summer to try and determine the cause of his steady decline, Dad decided he had enough.  He knew that even if he "got well" a full recovery was far from possible.

And so, I watched the man who loved me first leave this world.  I had the privilege of standing by his beside as he drew his last breath.  At the time I was struck with how very blessed I was to have him for a father, and that overwhelming sense of thankfulness has remained with me for these 3 1/2 months since he died. While I will always wish I had more time with him and look forward to the day I hear his voice again, I also know that having a dad like him was a gift.  So many people in this world never have someone in their life like him.

Dad taught me countless lessons, and I attribute so much of the person I am today to his influence in my life. I remember several years ago Dad talking about his dad with tears in his eyes.  He said to me, "Every time I needed him he was right there.  There was never a time that I needed him that he wasn't there.  That's the kind of Dad I've tried to be to you." You were, Dad.  You were.

Just a couple of weeks before he died, I asked Dad how he had managed to stay so positive - hopeful even - in the midst of all that had happened to him.  He wasn't angry, and he kept his sense of humor and his kindness to the very end.  He explained, "You know Brooke, everyone likes to think that they are brave and strong.  It's easy to believe that when things are going well. I'm just getting the chance to prove it."  

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for Dad.

As a college professor who began his schooling in a one room schoolhouse, Dad valued education tremendously.
I am so glad I had the opportunity to share my graduation from my graduate program with him and Mom!