Facebook memories are a blessing.
And a curse.
Sometimes they make me smile.
Sometimes they make me cry good tears.
Sometimes they are downright depressing.
And one never knows which way it will go
until it's too late not to look.
There are those days and occasions you never want to forget.
And those you wish you could.
But the ones that "get me" are those which I wish I could,
and might have passed the day without remembering,
except there it was in my memories.
And I'm torn.
Do I turn off that memory?
Say "never show me that again?"
That seems...I don't know, but I never can.
So I look at it,
remember,
feel the feels........
Early August has one of those days,
the wish I could and almost did forget
but then the FB memory reminded me.
And I admit that it seems to have affected my mood
beyond just that one day.
It ushered in the anticipation of the other memories
that this time of year will bring.
The ones I can't forget and mostly don't want to
because they are oddly precious,
but difficult nonetheless.
But this morning I saw a memory that made me smile
and cry good tears.
It reminded me of the great blessings I have been granted,
both past and present.
It was one of those "post a picture" challenges.
My Lanny Love and I hadn't been married very long,
but I posted pictures and told our story over seven days.
The last day post was different.
And today, it reminded me...
I'd like to share it with you.
Day 7, Spouse Challenge: Today's post is different. Most of you won't really understand. I pray you never do!
For
the past six days, I have told you a bit of my and Lanny's love story.
But I've left out a very important detail. You see, our love story does
not begin with us. It is not one love story, rather, it is three. Lanny
& Gina began many years ago with Lanny & Judy and Al & Gina.
Al and Judy helped shape who Lanny and I are. We experienced great love
with them. We learned to be spouses, partners, mates under their
tutelage. We learned the joys of marriage - and the trials. And we
learned the agony of loss, the depth of loneliness. We learned that
commitment and love do not end. A fellow widow posted the following
excerpt a few days ago: "...They...cannot conceive that love [continues]
after a death...death is not the end of true love...That giddy magic
which was experienced on a first date, a wedding date, a first child's
birth etc does not just disappear. In fact, it is intensified in moments
that bring memories colliding with the here and now. With the loss of a
spouse you loved, you realize even more just how magical even simple
moments were..."
These words are
true. But we also learned that, like it or not, life goes on. And that
we can choose to make of it what we wish. How glad I am that we chose
life over existence!
So while
Lanny & Judy and Al &Gina have given way to Lanny & Gina,
those other two couples co-exist with us. And we continue to learn from
them. I hope you can learn from them too!
Thanks,
Al and Judy, for the lessons, for the love, for the years! We love one
another as only a couple who has "learned" can and we do so because of
you! We remember and love you always!
Thank
you, Lanny, for taking the chance! To have experienced such loss and
then to give and receive love again is the greatest of gifts! I love you
with all my heart! I am so glad you are mine and I am yours!
Today
I challenge all of you! Post pictures if you like, but more
importantly, I challenge you to love with all your heart, with complete
abandon! Appreciate the magic of those special moments! Don't sweat the
small stuff - or even the big stuff! If tomorrow doesn't come, believe
me, it won't matter! Treat your spouse as you did back in the beginning!
Learn from each other! And take what you learn and be a better wife or
husband today!
Honestly, I'm not sure what it is I want to say about this.
I just know that it has been a positive reminder for me
as I enter a time fraught with difficult memories
that life all works together,
the good and the bad,
the easy and the hard,
the wonderful and the unthinkable,
to be a gorgeous tapestry of unparalleled beauty.
May you be reminded too.
Be still, and know that I am God...
And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to His purpose...
...to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit...
~~ Psalm 46:10, Romans 8:28, Isaiah 61:2,3 ~~
Praise the Name of The Lord!!!
