A typical Monday in my world starts with a 9:00am "Women on Weights" exercise class at the "Lighten Up Wellness Center". But today was not a typical Monday. Instead, shortly after 8:00am I found myself driving down the road to Minot in someone else's car. The call came last evening from Bert's aunt, Arlene. She had a funeral to attend, and no one in her family was available to drive her. . .and they didn't want her to drive herself. Would I be available to assist?
This, I'm finding, is one of the blessings of retirement. No longer is the schedule set in stone and I have the freedom to change my plans "at the drop of a hat", if need be. And so it was, Arlene and I had an enjoyable ride to and from Minot. While she attended the funeral, I was able to walk around the mall and even found some bargains.
The special moment came when Arlene mentioned tomorrow would have been her husband Fred's 80th birthday. He was taken from this life when he was but 42 years old, leaving Arlene to raise their 7 children by herself. Their youngest was only 2 years old at the time of his death. It certainly didn't seem fair when cancer took his life.
As we visited, I found myself asking how they met, and learned it was at a church banquet. Their second outing together was to a "fellowship meeting" of church people in a different community. It was shortly after this he had to return to his army post, and they kept in touch through letters. It was said they had to hire another postal worker to handle all the mail!
Sharing this time with Arlene made me miss my mother, who was taken from us 22 years ago at the age of 68. Why was it I never took the time to ask her these same questions about how she met my dad and where they had their first date? I reasoned it was because the first 20 years of my life were very self-focused. The next 20 years were devoted to my own marriage and raising 2 children. By the time I realized I should have asked the questions, she was gone.
The older I get, the more I find myself wanting to hear other people's stories. God has given each of us a journey in life, with no two being alike. Psalm 139 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It is all about how well God knows us. He knows every detail of our life, right down to the very thoughts we think. The chapter goes on to say there is no where we can go to escape God. Verse 16 is perhaps my favorite. . ."Your [God's] eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. Nothing is a surprise to God. Not the loss of a husband when he was only 42 years old, or the loss of a mother at the age of 68.
What is my point in all this? Take the time. Take the time to ask the questions before it's too late. Cherish precious moments with those you love, and while you're at it, thank God for providing them!
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