Being Thankful FOR The Hard Things

My friend Rixie is an amazing woman.  Her thankful challenge this year (expressing thankfulness for the hard things) has challenged me.  Being thankful for these things is not in itself so hard; the hard part is expressing those thoughts and feelings.  It takes me a little time to process these things, and a little more courage to be transparent with them.  I think that transparency is important, and that is why I am working to process and sort through my thoughts and feelings....I'm just being a little slow about it.  There has been a LOT to process in the past few weeks.  I am grateful to have friends who have been holding my family in their prayers.

In the meantime, today I am thankful that I have mobility and transportation to be able to go and spend a few days with my parents.  Today is not an easy day for our family.  Today is the first time the we have Meaghan's birthday.  Without Meaghan.  It's one of those dreaded "firsts" that you hear about after a death.  The first birthday.  The first Thanksgiving.  The first Christmas.  And oh may God's mercy sustain them, the first Mother's Day and the first Father's Day.

I drove her mother to the hospital where her father met us and coached my sister through the birth of their first daughter.  I did my share of holding, rocking, singing, and loving on that baby, that girl, that young lady.  I love that lady.  The pain of her absence is intense.  The pain of watching my sister's grief is heavy.

In the middle of our pain and our grief, there is peace.  This was sung at Meaghan's funeral.

As we miss her so intensely, we are so thankful for the assurance that Meaghan has indeed risen.  Our parting is only temporary.  As my dear friend Debi says (who lost her own daughter a few years ago), "Just for a minute.  Maybe two."