The wood is split and stacked as sweat drips down his back.
It is love in action. Leroy's gift to us. Preparing our home for the inevitable bite of winter. And it will come. The heat of this summer will bow to the chill of a north wind. That old woodstove will thaw frozen toes and melt icy mittens. Lazy cats will curl near its warmth, and hungry flames will dance over this day's oak offering. The sizzle and crackle of dry wood will punctuate our evenings.
If it were just so easy to prepare for the winter winds of life.
Mom is walking that final season of her life and has felt the bitter chill at her back.
Prepared?
How can you be?
We try. We organize. We rationalize. But quickly realize that we will never be ready to let her go. Hearts squeeze, and stomachs churn. Eyes sting as emotions tumble over.
We know that even as the winter winds draw relentlessly near, this cancer journey pulls her towards final days.
We brace for the bitter cold, the chill of loss...
But, unexpectedly we are warmed by an affectionate hug, arms hold us close. Sweet conversation crackles through the house as generous friends load our table with delicious offerings. A genuine smile lights mom's eyes as dad painstakingly folds the laundry, and laughter splits the night as grandchildren pose for goofy pictures.
And this is love in action. Protection from the cold. The warmth to hold us through the coming season. The splitting of joyful, normal moments into bite-size pieces, and the stacking of memories, precious and whole. Perhaps it is all the preparation needed to sustain us when those winter winds come.
Love Keeps, Love Warms, Love Holds Us Together....
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