Happy Freedom

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Margaret

This weekend is all about red, white and blue. Mom trained us well, and we, in turn, trained our kids: dress patriotically even if it’s out of style, and yes, a Cubs shirt is just fine.

Our family, like many others, loves the colorful part of the holidays: red and pink for Valentine’s Day, yellow and purple for Easter, etc. Today it’s all about stars and stripes, flags and fireworks. Never mind that Nelson nearly lost his hand when a firecracker exploded too soon years ago. We still set them off with oooh’s and aaah’s after our hamburgers and baked beans.

But the 4th of July isn’t just about outfits and explosives. Yesterday I listened to a radio reading of the Declaration of Independence. Most of it is a list of the offenses suffered by the colonists under the rule of a British king. But the introduction and conclusion of the document describe the freedom these people craved. After paying the price of a bloody war, they finally won self-rule and independence. The 13 newly formed states became the beginning of our free nation.

It’s interesting that the Declaration’s first section, The Preamble, includes what may be the most memorized sentence in our country. It’s the one that starts with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” God is mentioned as the Creator and humankind as “the created.”

Most interesting to me, however, is the end of this sentence that says the colonists believed all citizens had the right to pursue personal happiness. It further described what should happen to a government if that pursuit is thwarted: at a minimum, it should be altered, but if that doesn’t work, it should be abolished completely. A new government should be formed that “shall seem most likely to affect their safety… and happiness.”

I’m extremely thankful I live in the USA and can live within the freedoms mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. One of them is that I’m free to decide whether or not to make happiness a life objective. I don’t often wrestle with this, since putting myself last on the happy-list is difficult. On rare occasions when I do it, though, the strangest thing happens. Happiness results. It’s one of life’s thought-provoking illogicalities.

Today I’ve made an effort to count my blessings, and living in a free land is high on the list. I’m thankful for those who fought for my freedom and the 238 years American citizens have enjoyed its abundance. But the best freedom of all is my option to openly follow God’s recommendations for finding happiness. And his declaration, the Bible, trumps even the very important Declaration of Independence.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

Praising and Praying with Mary

With great joy we announce grandbaby #11 arriving in January to son Andrew and wife Kim!
I’m thankful for a safe and meaningful trip to Minnesota for the 4th of July.

Priceless Art

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Margaret

After a visit from grandchildren, it takes a day to change my home over from a toddler environment to that of a single adult. Taking the junior chair, bathtub toys and rattles back to the basement, my thoughts are always with the children as they head home.

Recently while going through this process I thought back to my own days of young motherhood when I would visit Mom, kids in tow, at her orderly home set up for two adults. When she first found out she was going to be a grandma, she emptied a large cabinet and went garage-sale-ing for toys to fill it. “I want our grandkids to have fun when they come,” she said.

Her wish came true. Our children and everyone else’s had a blast at Grandma Johnson’s. After leaving multiple little ones in her care, I’d always hurry back, worrying she might be exhausted. But no matter the length of time or number of children, she’d always say, “Back already?”

Time flew, because she was having fun.

After the children had pulled every toy out of her cabinet, each of us young moms would stay to pick them up, but Mom would take them from our hands and say, “Oh, let me do that after you leave. I have such a good time thinking back on the morning.”

“But it’s such a mess!” we’d say.

“A happy mess,” she’d counter, “and I love it.”

I remember one morning when Mom took care of several of our kids and made chocolate chip cookies with them. Two year old Klaus had deposited a smudgy hand print on her white door at toddler height, and before we left I reached for a soapy rag to wipe it clean. Mom stopped me, saying, “Don’t touch that. It’s darling.”

The next time I visited, she’d drawn a square frame around the messy print and written “By Klaus,” along with the date. Another “happy mess.” I’ll be glad if I can be half the grandma Mom was.

I’ve found plenty of my own precious art-prints after grandchild visits, like the ones 4-month-old Micah left while sitting in his Bumbo on the kitchen counter. He loved watching us prepare meals and was perched next to the glass cake dome. After he and his family had left, when the sun hit that glass, half of the dome was covered with tiny prints this little guy had left with his dimpled, drool-soaked fingers, and I experienced the same rush of grandma-love Mom must have felt seeing Klaus’ chocolate hand.

Though I confess to washing Micah’s artwork off my cake dome that day, it wasn’t before I “framed” his creation in my memory. Maybe when he visits next, we’ll bake some cookies together.

“Children’s children are a crown to the aged.” (Proverbs 17:6)

Praising and Praying with Mary

Please pray for my visit with the doctor tomorrow, a specialist who will work on feeding tube issues.
I’m thankful for a trip to Arkansas for dog-Sydney’s last day and the days following.

A Sad Weekend

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Margaret

Tonight’s post is written in real-time and is not a re-post.

As if Mary and her family didn’t have enough on their minds these days, last week they were given more. Their Australian Shepherd Sydney, a model pet for 13 years, had begun having some serious health issues: everyday nervousness, a kidney infection, extremely deep sleeps, chronic ear infections, and eventually a refusal to eat.

When Marta took her to the vet where she works, the prognosis wasn’t good: renal failure.

Eventually Sydney stopped drinking, so Marta took her in for IV fluids to make her feel better. But time in the vet’s office was so strenuous for Syd, the decision was made to let her stay at home without further treatment.

On Friday Mary and Stina drove the 11 hours from Michigan to Arkansas to spend time with Sydney, Marta, and Julia’s family [the Levers] in an effort to make decisions together.

Mary tells the Saturday story:

“Poor Syd just wasn’t herself, not interested in anybody or anything. She wagged her tail and looked up but would quickly put her head down and close her eyes. She was declining in a hurry, not eating but just lying under the deck or a bush, away from everyone.

“I’d hoped to have a few days with her, but there was nothing to gain by that, especially for Syd. The vet on duty lives in the neighborhood, and we asked if he could bring home what he needed and do it here, so Syd wouldn’t have to endure another traumatic visit to the clinic. As a favor to Marta, he agreed.

“When Dr. Wolf arrived, Syd came trustingly out from under the deck to lay in the grass. He assured us she wasn’t going to get better with kidney failure.

“Julia’s family had delayed their vacation to be with us. We all gathered around Syd in the grass, and [Julia’s husband] Drew prayed and thanked God for Syd and for all the years we had with her. Everyone said their own goodbyes, and then the vet gave her a sedative.

“It was very easy, since Syd had an IV in her leg already. She relaxed, and I felt her go limp as her eyes closed and her sweet face settled into my hands. Then the vet, a sympathetic Christian man, administered the heart-stopping drug. And she was gone in a few minutes, very gentle and peaceful.

“Lots of tears were falling as we just sat stroking her and talking about her. Buddy [the year-old Springer belonging to Mary and Bervin’s grandson Andrew] lay down and put his head on Syd. Little [2 year old] Abigail put a black garbage bag over her like a blanket.

“I’m so glad the Levers stayed late, because the girls and I would never have been able to dig a grave in this stony Arkansas ground. We buried Syd near Rusty, their dog that died a few years ago, in a quiet woodsy area of their property.

“After it was all over, we all felt we’d done the right thing for Syd. It was quiet and peaceful sitting on their front porch afterwards, but I miss Syd and tear up just thinking about her. She was a good and perfect dog, and we loved her very much. It was a hard day here, but it’s almost over.”