Advent

Emily Dickinson's poem is about hope. I had this poem in its entirety published in the prison library. I had it made into a mobile that gently swayed with the breeze. Hope is often like that. A gentle breeze that offers a kiss of coolness to a dry and parched soul. Sunday heralds advent. Something long waited. Something greatly anticipated. Advent gives us a glimmer of hope.

I love the advent song O Come, O Come Emmanuel. It was composed in a minor key and has the haunting familiarity of loss and of pain and that of the eventual arrival of hope! The words of the hymn state that God comes for everyone – the joyous and the grieving, those who celebrate and those who mourn.

The song addresses our need of a Savior. It addresses our various stages of life. In that haunting minor key, it tells us that Emmanuel — God-with-Us — comes to comfort the grieving, the mourning, the sad, and the lonely.

This promise, this hope awaits us and all those who mourn — and we rejoice. “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

This advent season may you prepare your hearts for the inclusion of Emmanuel. May you rejoice in anticipation of the coming season.

Simply yours,

Tamara

P.S.  Isaiah 61:1-3 (TLB) 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the eyes of the blind. ² He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of God’s favor to them has come, and the day of his wrath to their enemies. ³ To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory.

Remembrances

Today, the clouds envelop Tucson Arizona; the rain is reminiscent of the tears that fell 50 years ago today when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed by an assassin's bullets as his motorcade wound through Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was the youngest man elected President; he was also the youngest to die in office. 

Do you remember where you were and how you learned of this tragedy? It was after lunch. Sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Keener entered the classroom and she was crying. We all sat quietly, respectfully until she composed herself. We knew it was something serious. She announced that President Kennedy had died. The resulting sound was that of the wind for all of our collective gasps of shock. The tears, like today’s rain, began to fall. Our Principal, Mr. Sneddon went from classroom to classroom and dismissed us for the remainder of the day. (We did not have a PA system at that time.)

Kennedy’s presidential campaign was the first one I recall as a child. I remember the televised debates with Richard M. Nixon and the one and only time a presidential candidate’s motorcade came through our small Ohio village. Our elementary school went to the town square to wave as he passed by. I was not among them as I had a case of the measles. I cried and cried. I so wanted to see this charismatic man as he drove through our town.

He was elected by a very narrow margin in the popular vote. His Inaugural Address offered the memorable injunction: "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." Today, I relate this very quote to church… “Ask not what your church can do for you – ask what you can do for your church.”

I recollect Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy present the White House to “We the People” via television. Mrs. Kennedy was as close to royalty as this country had ever experienced and we loved her. She was a confident, poised woman, who suffered her share of sorrow with miscarriages and premature births; when she mourned – we mourned. Her fashion sense was copied and emulated not only nationwide, but worldwide. Who can forget the renowned pillbox hat? 

The Kennedy years were and still are referred to as the Camelot Era. These were turbulent times with the pressing issues of the Berlin Wall; the Bay of Pigs; the Cuban Missile Crisis and our own nation’s civil rights issues. During this era, school children nationwide practiced not just fire drills, but also nuclear bomb attack drills. We also entered into the space age at the urging of the young President. We found hope and comfort watching this First Family. 

It is 50 years later, and still we mourn… and still we remember.

Simply yours,

Tamara

Stones of Remembrance

I watched him. I scrutinized him closely. I witnessed the way he lovingly treated his mother. I observed the respect he gave his grandmother and his sisters. I knew I would be safe with him. I knew somehow that my name would be safe and sacred in his mouth. 

This may be a strange reflection, but I also noted how animals and small children reacted to him. They were drawn to him because they knew in a primal sort of way that they were safe in his presence.

I knew in the very core of my being, deep within my soul that if anything befell me, if I became incapacitated or my health failed he would care for me in a gentle, sure manner. I knew the marriage vows of ‘in sickness and in health’ would not be taken lightly by him. What choice did I have but to marry him?

May 19th will mark 35 years since we were married. We can add another two years to the mix for the dating and engagement period. This was a second marriage for each of us.

Like any marriage, we don’t see eye to eye on some subjects. There have been times I’ve wanted to walk away, call it quits and start all over again.

I am sure he too, has felt this way, especially four years ago when I quit smoking cold turkey. I am surprised he is still with me! OH.MY.GOODNESS!

If we were inclined to be controlled by our feelings, I’m sure that would have ensued. Even through those heated times, we’ve found we can discuss (or debate) our varied opinions.

What we have learned is that feelings are fleeting and subject to change. To quote from the movie The Princess Bride, “and wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva…”. Love is an act of volition – it is an active choice we make every single solitary day, despite the fact that almost everything in our society conspires against it.

On October 12th, I began an excruciating process of trying to pass a 6mm kidney stone. That resulted in my hospitalization, a CT scans and a laser surgery on the 14th. A second CT scan was ordered due to there being another kidney stone and the urologist wanted to see if it had moved. It hadn't so now I am scheduled for another surgery on Monday, November 11th, with what I hope will be the end result of extraction of the 5mm stone!

Meanwhile, from my previous eye exam I was referred to an ophthalmologist due to having secondary cataracts. This past Monday, the 4th, I had yet another laser procedure to eliminate the secondary cataract in my left eye. The result is amazing. Yesterday I tested out at 20/20 vision in that eye. The surgery is scheduled now for the right eye. Who knows? Perhaps I won’t need glasses any more!

I’m getting good at these laser procedures – the Star Wars procedures, if you will from one end to the other!

Throughout all of these medically related health concerns, Husband has been caring for me and very nicely, I might add. I’ve had a myriad of medications that have made me dizzy, caused my balance to be off, cause tiredness and dried me up like an antihistamine. He drives me too and from work (Rx label caution/warnings) and to my appointments. He’s cleaned, done all the laundry, cooked and doted over me.

More importantly, he set aside his plans for a trip to Ohio to visit his 92 year old mother. I have felt so bad about that and told him as much. He insists it is no imposition. I am so blessed. His reply to me on the delayed trip was, “She still alive and even if she does pass, she will be in the arms of Jesus.”

Rebecca posts at http://lifeandgodliness-rebecca.blogspot.com/ has been sharing about her mother and the issues that surround aging and Alzheimer's. Rebecca is chronicling this difficult process and how it is impacting her and her father’s life. She does this with such grace and dignity.

Although I’ve been reading the bloggers I follow, I haven’t posted comments as I get so tired at times. I so hope that changes when I no longer have to take all the medication. I am confident that I will be on the mend soon and totally recuperated!

Simply yours,

Tamara

P.S.

Matthew 19:6Good News Translation

⁶ So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together.”