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The Way to Happiness
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.—Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record?—PSALM 56:8 (NIV)
I continued on my brisk three-mile walk and wiped away tears as quickly as they fell. I tried to focus on the music flowing through my headphones but my memories were louder. My thoughts floated back to my mom, whom I’d lost over two decades ago. I thought about the beauty of her olive skin and the contrast to my own deeper brown.
The tears flowed as I remembered several losses I’d experienced over the years. Losses of parents and in-laws, and most recently my dog, Beethoven.
I’ve learned as a caregiver that loss brings about change in my “normal” routine. I’ve given myself permission to grieve not only the loss of a loved one, but the changes it brings to my life. Sometimes the changes are the hardest part for me to deal with.
After I finished my walk, I took a few minutes to look at my favorite picture of Mom and me. I smiled, and whispered, “I love you.”
I rested my hand on the back of the chair where Beethoven had spent most of his days while I worked. I brushed my fingertips across the seat cushion where he’d rested. “I miss you, dear friend,” I said.
My tears had stopped…for now, anyway. I took a deep breath before getting ready for my day.
Father, help me to move gracefully through the changes in my life that loss brings.
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.—Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
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