Hello everyone:
Today’s blog is in honor of a man I have never met. He was the husband of a dear friend and former student of mine at Liberty University. He was on his way home from work on a dark and rainy night one year ago this Friday when his vehicle flipped and he was killed instantly. His wife and daughter do not know what happened to this day, but he was dead and she was suddenly single at the age of 42. He was also 42.
There was so much more they wanted to do together, but life was busy and they never got around to it. If you are in a situation where there are important people in your life, I hope that you will take time to be with them. If you have older parents, take time to be with them. Kiss your kids, love your siblings, and hug your parents. We never know what tomorrow will bring.
On my own list of things-I-wish-I’d-done is recording my great aunt’s memories. She was a storehouse of information about our family and the culture she grew up in. We inherited her house and it is amazing all the artifacts we have found from time gone by. I located the books my grandfather had as he was learning to read. My great grandfather’s wallet, complete with a little money, was in a dresser drawer. My great grandfather was a teacher; I found some writing exercises he used to teach children cursive. It would have been so much fun to go through these things with my great aunt in order to learn the story-behind-the-story. If you have the opportunity to spend some time with an older relative, I highly encourage you to do it.
Thanks for reading today’s blog. My thoughts are with my friend and her daughter as they approach the first anniversary of her hubby’s passing, and they are with you as you navigate the waters of being unexpectedly unmarried.
Best,
Sheri
Hello everyone:
When my great aunt was still alive, she and her friends agreed that they would call each other twice a day, to make sure that everyone was still alive and well. This worked like a champ and kept everyone aware of the others’ well-being. One by one, however, the ladies died; my aunt stopped her involvement in the group when she was put in a nursing home three months prior to her death.
My mother died two years ago and my dad, who was not involved in any outside groups, did not have anyone with whom he was in contact on a regular basis. My sister-in-law told us the story of her friend who lay in the shower for three days, after having slipped getting out of the shower, and we made the decision that Dad had to be called or seen every day. This has worked out well and I highly recommend you do this for any elderly relatives you have.
If you are the elderly person, you may wish to set something like this up, or you may want to get one of those “help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” services. The important thing here is that, if you live alone, someone needs to know you aren’t pushing up daisies! Think of it this way: how long would you want to lay on the floor or in need of help? Keep this in mind and make the arrangements to be checked on before you need it!
You can also be a help to someone who lives alone. If you notice that someone does not keep his or her regular schedule of activities, you should call or go over to check on him or her. I understand that a pizza store realized that a regular customer had not called for a meal in 11 days. They went to check on the man and found him seriously in need of help. They called 911 and the man’s life was saved because someone noticed that they hadn’t seen him. Food for thought.
Best,
Sheri