Pancreatic cancer didn't care about our wonderful Christmas traditions, nor the pain her death would cause each year as we faced the season without her... these past 5 years have seen our traditions change in many ways as we try to balance the beauty and grace of Christmas with the aching loss we will always feel.
And this year the tightrope of balance has been shaken hard, for after much agonizing, too many health scares, and oh, so much prayer, Dad has made the decision to move into an Assisted Living Home.
This past month has been an emotional cauldron.
Decisions, questions, tours, talking, praying, discussing... and finally deciding...
Deep breath. {It will be ok}
Dad has chosen a beautiful new facility just down the street. And he moved in with a smile born of equal amounts grace and grit. This has not been easy.
We are calling it his apartment... and decorating like mad... making it home... learning new names to go with new faces... developing new routines... finding our footing...
It would seem that Christmas in our family is destined to be colored by change. Even as I long for those traditions that comfort and soothe, we are breaking from the old and preparing for the new...
And a lightbulb blinks on in this weary head of mine... for that is exactly what Christmas is all about... yes?
A Christ-Child born to us... come to make all things new... for the old will pass away in the light of his wholly transforming gift of Grace.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;behold, all things are become new."
old things are passed away;behold, all things are become new."
II Corinthians 5:17
Amen... Amen... Balm to this aching heart...
{It will be ok!}
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