In a future, not so far away, we will be praising God with our Family and Friends in our true Spirit.

I’ve been thinking about family and friends lately. My father’s slide into dementia has sped up over the last two months. It hurts my heart to watch the man who always knew the answer, whether or not you wanted it {wink}, slowly lose his logical, analytical mind. The worst part is he knows he’s losing his mind. He remembers what he could do in the past. When he can’t do those things now, he gets frustrated with himself. He has bouts of depression and tells me he is a pest.

I deny the notion that he is a pest but, I don’t think he believes me. He does not like calling for any kind of help. I tell him this is all a part of life. He tells me, he’s tired of living and why doesn’t God take him. He has considered taking his own life. I had such a hard time with that conversation several months ago. At the time, I wasn’t sure I handled it right. Looking back, I realize the Lord must have given me the right words because, dad hasn’t taken his life.

This coming week we will move him to a memory care facility. He and I are struggling with the situation. He doesn’t want to leave his home. I don’t want to make him leave. He doesn’t want to impose on me. Unfortunately I physically cannot care for him properly at home. The situation has become unbearable. He needs the help and safety of assisted living.

The beautiful thing is my family has come forward with offers of help, advice, and consolation. My true friends stand with my family. I am humbled by all who are stepping up to help my dad and me (whether he likes it or not {smile}). God has blessed my dad and my family in this journey.

I went to dinner with my moms this week. We had so much to talk about I jumped from subject to subject. The moms followed my ramblings with extreme patience. Somehow they knew I needed the listening ear. On the way home, we talked about friends and family. I told them how amazed I was at the support of family.

We discussed how friends come and go but, for most of us family stands with us through thick and thin. When push comes to shove it’s the family unit that pulls together and stands strong. We miss friends when we are separated by circumstances and wonder if we will see them again. True friends will always be with us in our spirits. We will reconnect at some point. I blurted out a thought as it popped into my brain,

“I will be meeting my friends in a heavenly club dancing with the Angels and praising God together.” I quipped. Then I said, “My friends had better be with God because I want them at the party!” We all had a good laugh over the thought of partying (celebrating God) with the angels.

We are meant to meet lots of people in our lives. Some touch us for minutes. Others touch us for years. Jesus said to go out into world and spread the gospel [see Mark 16:15 NKJV]. Not all of us are equipped to be great evangelists, including me. I trust God will bring people into our lives for reasons we don’t understand. All we have to do is connect. Sometimes the connection fails. Other times it is successful and both lives have been touched in some way.

There are things we are driven to do. Mine is to write. I have found I connect with the world around me by writing. I have the choice to write about anything. My writing could be devoid of God. I could choose to keep my writing private and never share it with the world.

I find that doesn’t work for me. I am not devoid of God. I am filled with his spirit. I want to encourage myself and others to laugh at life, enjoy the moment, and find their higher power.

Our connections may last or fade. We may reconnect after many years. In the case of digital connections we may never connect in person. The hope is when we are together in the Spirit; we will reconnect in the life after death. I pray I’ll be dancing with the angels and you as we praise God in the heavens.

God bless,

Milly