I can’t go into it all, everything my family has been through in the last year. If you visit here regularly, you know about my wife’s serious back injury and her recovery from it, new jobs for both my wife and for me, selling my old home and finally moving in with my wife, my father’s final illness and death, care of my wife’s elderly parents, and the shocking and unexpected death of our daughter-in-law.
That’s just some of it. There’s more, much more, stories that aren’t mine to tell and so need to remain private. All of it has been a terrible strain on us not just individually, but also on our young marriage.
We’ll be okay. We’ve both known hard times earlier in our lives and have learned how to handle them. We know grace, how to give it and receive it.
We think that the worst of it is over. We think we can now focus fully on us.
It’s a relief. We are happy to be on our path forward.
Love and best wishes for your future Jim.
Thank you!
Stay strong, Jim.
Thanks so much, Michael!
Cheers to the path forward. May it be a bit less bumpy for you.
A lot less, I hope!
It’s good to hear the worst is likely behind you; no doubt you are quite elated to realize you are at that point.
Deeply relieved.
Looks good, and a more positive analogy than light at the end of the tunnel. I’m glad that you have a partner on the path.
Me too Doug!
Decades ago, I bought a framed color 11×14 photo at a local summer art show. It struck me as a strong metaphor of some of life’s scarier times. The photo showed a straight dirt road through thick woods, over an iron bridge, into more woods, with a sunny patch beyond. Sometimes I like to look at it, and other times it is difficult to view.
That photo sounds wonderful. And a great metaphor.
You and your family have been through so much, Jim — and my heart goes out to you all. But you’re very fortunate indeed that you know grace … both how to give it, and how to receive it. I hope the path forward will soon lead to brighter and lighter pastures.
Thank you H. It’s been exhausting, and occasionally maddening. We’re going to be fine, though. I trust that this time of extreme challenge has prepared us for something down the line that we couldn’t have handled without this.
So sorry for all the tough times. My prayers to you and your family.
We turn the page to a new, more hopeful chapter today.
It’s tough that you both found each other and started a new life together, only to be hit with so much in such a short time. But each of you had the other to help in handling the stressful situations and that’s good.
We did partner through some of the hard stuff, which was a blessing.
The only way is up, so they say.
Like the old song goes, “I figure whenever you’re down and out the only way is up! So I’ll be up like the rosebud, high on the vine.”
You certainly exhibit grace in your writings about these events, Jim. My best wishes to you, your wife and the rest of your family.
Thank you so much, Katherine!
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