Six Blessings in Six Years

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Have you heard the saying “There but for the grace of God go I”? This phrase has been used for nearly five hundred years by people who are counting their blessings. It acknowledges that someone’s bad luck or misfortune is not his or her fault and that the person uttering the phrase could easily have been in the same circumstances.  The reason this phrase has been on my mind is because of an old friend.

Last night, I had the privilege of visiting with some close friends I haven’t spent much time with over the last few years. We gathered at the home of a woman whose life has drastically changed over the past six years. My life has also transformed, but while Barb has lost a husband and a son in the past six years, I have gained so many blessings that it doesn’t quite seem fair.

Six years ago, Barb’s life was completely changed by the passing of her 17-year-old son.  Frankie had neurofibromatosis and fought for many years. On the day that Frankie died, Dennis and I traveling to Tennessee to get married.  I knew Frankie was not doing well, and I asked that no one tell if something happened until after the wedding. Frankie passed away on August 7, 2014, and we were married on August 8. In honor and memory of Frankie, I’d like to talk about six blessings that have come into our lives in the past six years.

My six blessings (in no specific order)

1. My husband

First and foremost, I am grateful for my husband. I know most of you don’t know him, but Dennis is amazing. We were friends for five years before we started dating. Dennis is thoughtful and caring, plus he puts up with my craziness. He’s a neat freak and loves organization. Because of that, he is constantly moving things about (hiding things from me) because in his mind, everything has a place and needs to be in it. He takes care of me, cooks, cleans, and treats me like I’m a queen. I’m am very, very lucky.

 

2. Our children

Between the two of us, we have five kids. They range in age from 24 to 31. We don’t see the youngest and oldest as often as we’d like, but they are single guys and have their own lives. The middle three children are married and have awesome spouses. In six years, we’d had one wedding (Ian and Krystal) and four graduations (Meghan and Aubree–undergrad and grad school each).

Luckily for us, most of the kids live within 80 miles, so we are able to visit. Meghan and Joe are the only ones living out of state. Unfortunately, they are 1500 miles away in Colorado. They do love it out there though.

3. The grandbabies

We were married on August 8, 2014. Less than a month later, during Labor Day weekend, we found out we would become grandparents the following April. Fast forward six years, and we have five grandchildren under the age of six and another on the way. These little ones have brought so much joy into our lives.

So, what’s up with the grandkids? J.R. is starting kindergarten this year, virtually, like so many others. He loves dinosaurs and is learning to read using McGuffey readers. Ady is four and is swimming like a fish. She loves her animals, camping, and playing outside. Kairi will be four in a few days and is into princesses and unicorns. Her dad built her an amazing backyard castle this summer (you can see photos here on Instagram). Josh also loves to play outside. He loves cars, trucks, tractors, and anything with wheels. He needs to practice his driving skills–Papa lets him drive the dune buggy, but Grammy worries he will hit a tree. And Ozzy? Ozzy is just a sweet, cuddly one-year-old.  J.R. talks on the phone and will FaceTime, but Oz just isn’t interested yet.

4. Our parents

My parents live about ten miles from us so we are able to see them often. My mom and dad are amazing. Mom had planned to hike the Appalachian Trail this year, but her trip has been postponed. Dad is always fixing something in the barn or working out in the fields.

 

Dennis’s mom lives about an hour away. When we first got married,Joyce was living on her own and doing well.  Because of some falls in recent years, Joyce sold her home and moved to an assisted living facility. We haven’t been able to see her much lately due to visiting restrictions. We were able to travel to the Carolinas with her in 2016  and visited the Biltmore Estate. 

 

I am also blessed with a bonus father-in-law (my children’s grandfather). I was able to visit with Roy just yesterday. He turns 95 next week and is just an amazing man. Two years ago, we attended his high school graduation where he finally received his diploma.  You can find out what this WWII veteran did instead of finishing school here.  It’s an amazing story.

5. Our home

We are blessed to live in a beautiful rural area.  Our home isn’t large, but it’s the perfect size for the two of us. Our yard and my garden bring me joy each day.  It’s a peaceful place in any season.

6.  Our jobs

We are both blessed with careers that we love. As you know, I teach junior high, and Dennis is a mover. Our jobs allow us to pay our bills and to travel in our spare time. Dennis and my brother purchased the moving company Dennis worked for a couple years ago and recently moved the company to our small town. Now, each of our commutes is ten miles or less.

My job also allows me to accumulate sick time. This was a blessing in February when Meghan broke her arm and had to have surgery. Because of this benefit, I was able to fly to Denver to help with the little ones while she recuperated.

Final Thoughts

Despite her losses, my friend Barb is doing well. She, too, has had many blessings in the past few years. She has celebrated her daughters’ weddings and enjoys her grandchildren.  Life has changed, but she has adapted.

Twelve years ago, my life was in constant chaos. At that time, I held onto the mantra “This, too, shall pass” and eventually, life did start an upswing. We, too, have had sad things happen over the past few years. We’ve lost people who were close to us and pets we loved. We can’t always prevent bad things from happening to us, but we can change how we react to those events. We can hold out hope, and we can absolutely count our blessings. In addition, we can be grateful for the positives while trying not to let the bad overshadow the good. And, as you can see, those blessings really can add up!

A Side Note on Neurofibromatosis

It should be noted that Frankie is not the only child or young adult that I have known with NF.  Believe it or not, I’ve known three children with connections to our small rural area who have been diagnosed with this rare disease. If you are looking for a charity to donate to, the Children’s Tumor Foundation is doing amazing research to help find a cure for this deadly and debilitating disease.  You can donate to the Children’s Tumor Foundation here.

 

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