I haven't been in the mood to blog since Thanksgiving....been quietly contemplating the changes in our family since my dad was diagnosed with leukemia. At our family gatherings, he is usually the center of fun. Playing with the grandkids, teasing, joking, saying something super positive that just bugs the melancholy in me, but loving it still the same.
This year, my dad was quiet, weak and frail. He took my grandpa's spot in the corner lounge chair and dozed while we all bustled around him. He sat and watched the kids play the tv games...just to be near them.
We sat around the table like always, to say what we were thankful for. It was different this year. We all said what we were thankful for about my dad. He was visibly humbled and emotional. My 16 year old nephews had to hide their head in their arms because they were crying so hard. We did a lot of "craffing". That's where you're crying and then you start laughing. After 23 of us shared, it came down to my dad. He broke the ice, and for a moment, the twinkle was back in his eyes and he said, "I feel like I'm dead already!". More craffing.
He told us, if we only remembered two things......be a student of the Word and prayer. The words of a dying man. Read my Bible and cry out to God. Life boiled down to the important things.
I love you, Dad.
6 comments:
Thank you, Sheri. This post really got to me. I love craffing too!
Great post! Thanks!
Sheri, thanks for sharing your family and your dad with us. I will remember your dad's words.
Me too. And I'm feeling a little like your nephews about now... Thanks for blessing us with this post.
I'm totally craffing right now. And who says you can't make up sniglets? That is a great one.
I did make a sniglet, didn't I? Thanks for getting in the trenches with me, friends.
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