July 3
Norm’s birthday is coming up. So I’ve been thinking a lot about his last birthday. He seemed healthy, and we had a great time.
We traveled to Lake City in Colorado, a place to stay if you want to do the Alpine Loop. He rented an off-highway vehicle (OHV) and we drove on the narrow, dirt roads with multiple tight hairpin turns. He offered to let me drive, but I said no…I didn’t want to be the one to miscalculate the edge of the road and end up tumbling down the mountain. Granted, we did have roll bars, but who wants to have to use them?
July is a good time to visit. The mountain flowers can be seen in their full glory…of course it’s a brief glory, and we hit it at prime color last year.
We drove to Silverton one day, we liked to have lunch and shop there. As we left lunch, hail began to fall. We figured it would be short lived, no bad weather was expected. We watched the hail build up, looked like snow…enough to build a snowman. We still had to go back over the mountains, on those narrow roads…now covered with snow and hail. Norm took it slow and we got some beautiful pictures.
We visited an old gold mine, some ghost towns, and took a gondola ride up the side of a mountain along the Million Dollar Highway…steep, but not narrow and paved all the way. I drove that one.
We didn’t know that would be the last time. He was looking forward to talking the kids into joining us one summer.
Within a month, his health took a downturn. We didn’t suspect cancer at all…lyme disease, possibly…but not cancer. By the end of August he hardly had the strength to leave the house and it took 3 months to discover the cancer.
This is ending up being as tough as our anniversary. The memory of his strength and stamina, his joy of driving in the mountains, his joy in photography of nature…very real as I remember our trip last year.
Where’s the joy?
I am thankful that I chose to go with him last year…one never knows when it will be the last.
I pray for those who are facing an unknown or cancer diagnosis, that they will be given the strength to endure, and some times of joy in the midst of it.
I rejoice that God gives us joyful memories, and sometimes allows the rough times to fade so that the best remains.
Where’s the joy? I have been able to enjoy some very special memories. Though they are tinged with grief, they are great memories.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 103
TRICIA LATHROP 