R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

Good morning. I am sitting in my brother and sister-in-law's house in Wichita Kansas where I am spending a few days with my parents. My mom in 88 and in the early/middle stages of alzheimers and my Dad is beginning to show signs of something similar. They are still so gracious and kind. I am always amazed that I was privileged to grow up in that environment. My mom, when I left after explaining a couple of times why I needed to leave and go to my brothers said, "Well, you be careful and just remember I love you from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes." Is that cool or what? She has prayed for me every day of my life and before. That is a great blessing. Then I came to my brother's house (he was already at the gym working out) and my sister-in-law had coffee brewing and offered fresh strawberries and good cheer. That's the kind of family I have. My niece was off to her last day of high school - her last English test, her last Yearbook meeting. My car was the easiest to get to, so I had the chance to drop her off at the local Paneras to meet friends before this last day. That's the kind of beautiful day this is. My parents waiting for me to come and fix breakfast for them, my family doing their normal, beaautiful everyday things. And then you and I are connecting on a deep level of shared experience. When you think about it, a very normal, ordinary spring day with the sun shining in the window and a little breeze coming in through the window is a great, great blessing. I feel connected to all of life. I feel connected to you who may be still in the throes of sadness and despair about the end of your marriage. I just wish I could fix you a cup of coffee myself and give you a bowl of strawberries and we could just be together at the kitchen table for a while. I would tell you to take heart. And trust that your life will be absolutely wonderful again. We could cry and laugh and understand that life is full of things to be faced and learned from and then used to find a deeper understanding of the amazing potential of it all. I would tell you that God can turn your mourning into dancing. Remember that thought today. It's true. It's absolutely and undeniably true. Believe it. I'll talk to you tomorrow morning after I tell my mom several times where I'm going. And my Dad will say again, "Good, that's good you're doing that. We'll be okay until you get back." And my Mom will say, 'I love you from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes." And my brother and his wife will welcome me with hot coffee and strawberries. I am praying that you will have a wonderful beautiful extra-ordinary day, too. I love you all.