Thursday, March 18, 2021

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”                                                                                       Philippians 4: 6-7
Despite much about the past year that has been sad, frightening, disappointing or frustrating, I have had many bright spots. The obvious one has been that my family and I have been healthy, but beyond that has been the chance to spend more time with our adult daughter. My mother died when I was 45 and my dad a couple years later. My children were at ages then that much of my focus as a full-time working mother was on them. Sadly, that didn’t leave me as much time as I would have liked to spend with my parents who lived a 2+ hour drive away. In the years since their deaths, I often find myself thinking about them and the many, many conversations I wish I had taken time to have with them.
Now that our daughter, who turns 30 in a few months, has been living with us while working remotely, I am so thankful for the time we have to spend together as adults. I doubt she thinks about it much now, but I hope that in the future she will treasure the extra time, conversations and interactions she has been having with her dad and me. I try to pass along “nuggets” of family traditions, stories about relatives who she either didn’t know or doesn’t remember well, etc. Knowing that she will have memories of us from the time spent together over this past year is truly a bright spot for me.

Dear God,
Despite these troubling times, you continuously break into our lives, bringing peace and hope. Please help us to look for and recognize your presence. Help us always to live each day to its fullest and not take time with family and friends for granted. Amen
 
Carla Rossi