Hello 2026! Who knew how fast a year could fly by? There's folks lining up like lemmings at the gym (not that I'm there, unfortunately, but maybe soon?) It's always funny to me, all the different perspectives at the turn of a new year. Some people disparage the use of goals and fresh takes for the turn of the calendar. Most of those markers never make it through February, but I still think they are a good idea. We've just been through insanely busy months of gift-hunting, parties, all kinds of obligations and last-minute retail therapy. It leaves one exhausted. I, for one, was tied up with much flute playing and shopping for those most-adorable-grandkids-in-the-world. At one point, when Ken was helping me wrap gifts, he started freaking out about the amount of products piling up under our tree. I told him I actually held back this year, always trying to keep the gifts equal in value for them. He hasn't noticed, because he usually isn't home to help. This year, he had 17 days off from work. Seventeen!
This alone produced its own kind of problems. It took us about a week to acclimate to being together all the time. There were more than a couple tiffs, remembering who the other one was and figuring out how this was going to work. At some point I thought, "He is never retiring!" But then the gift of forgiveness began to flow throughout, combined with more communication and lots of hugs. Why do we wait until things are tense to do that? We did, however, and then I began dreading him going back to work. Last night, we hugged, foreheads bumping together and getting misty about it. This morning finds me a little blue. The holidays are over. The evidence of much-much is all around in the house, the dust bunnies starting to collect along with glitter and label-bits in the corners.
I hired some guys to finish caulking our 12-foot living room ceiling and they are pushing scaffolding all over, doing the job that I should have done a long time ago but now prefer to pay someone else to do. I'm pretty sure my knees and sore elbows couldn't take it anyhow, since I never do those things anymore, particularly ceilings. I remember when I was up there painting the gargantuan crown moulding a few years ago...thinking, "I should really go ahead and caulk these ceiling tiles now." But as I am wont to do, I decided to think about it tomorra and tomorra never came. Liz and I had started that job many years ago, applying reproduction tiles to a horrid ceiling that had icky stains and drooping wallpaper on it. We started in the middle and the further we got out, the crookeder it got and then we gave up. Our son Daniel came to the rescue, pulled many of them down and finished the job. I cannot explain how much I love that ceiling. Many people think they are original to the house but they are made of some kind of fancy styrofoam. The things people can make these days! We never caulked around them, so every time I lay in my recliner or someone points the pretty things out, I cringe because they're not caulked. Today, there's a part of the stress in my brain that will be released forever. Hallelujah and pass the peas.
We experienced the best Christmas and New Year season I have had in years. The sweet voices, warm hugs, singing, fireworks, church, family, kind strangers, and especially the knowledge of God's goodness to me in the land of the living made it extra special. I sit in the glow this morning and have to get back on my pony to get to work. May 2026 be the best of years. May we see God's hand and blessing in everything we do and may our eyes and hearts look closer to those around us and those whose paths we cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment