“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” – Henry Ward Beecher.
gratitude
Willey
This man. He is a dream come true. He flew with me from Arizona to Georgia. Packed up my mom’s belongings and loaded them on to the U-Haul. He drove for four days until we got home and get this: There was no cruise control in the truck!
And then he unloaded the truck and put the boxes in our garage. He returned it.
He’s nice to mom. He jokes with her, makes her feel welcome, and cheers her up when she’s sad about dad’s passing in July.
Today, he vacuumed and washed her car.
He is a generous spirit – with all of his family and friends. They know he would do anything for them. He is love personified.
Prayer
“When you pray for something, believe you already have it…and then you will receive it.”
Eckhart Tolle
Hail the Husband #4
“How do you spell moronic? Temperamental? Adjacent?”
My daughters and I often get a laugh out of my husband’s questions. We’ve learned that it hurts his feelings when we gleefully react to his earnest inquiries. So we stifle our giggles. But yesterday, he unearthed his fourth-grade report cards. And even he had to laugh…
Hail the Husband 3
He plays with her and pets her all hours of the day
talking and teasing Opal – she listens to him say
that he’s glad she’s here – wouldn’t have it any other way
and I’m happy to spot them like this through the archway
I Like Cooking with Him
Haul-lelujah
“I’m looking forward to our long drive from Georgia,” my husband says.
We will be driving from Lawrenceville, GA to Mesa, AZ (over 1,800 miles) to move my mother’s things from her old house to ours. After dad passed away in July, mom has been uprooted mentally, spiritually and physically.
But whose partner says they are looking forward to driving all day for several days? Mine. I’m fortunate to have a supportive partner who not only steps up but embraces this “adventure.” He’s excited to box things up, rent the equipment, tow mom’s car at the back of the truck and drive all the way back home for 27 hours. Thank you, William. I am grateful.
Dr. Sei-Jong Chung
My father was a very private man. He passed away on July 11, 2019, and we did not have a service for him in Georgia, where he lived. Instead, we will have it at my house on September 12. Here is his obituary:
Dr. Sei-Jong Chung, passed away in the early evening hours of Thursday, July 11, 2019 at his home in Lawrenceville, GA. He left this world peacefully, with his loving wife, our mother Jung-Yoon Chung, by his side. As he waged a short, but courageous battle against lung cancer, he discovered a peace and joy with his family and friends he had never previously known. For this, we are eternally grateful.
Born in South Korea, he was the fifth of eight children and displayed an exceptionally inquisitive and academic mind. As a young immigrant and college student, Sei-Jong performed many odd jobs, including serving at restaurants and shoveling coal so college students could enjoy hot water. As he worked to earn his advanced college degrees, he also mentored students and Korean immigrants. On several occasions, he exchanged his skills as a technical English reader and writer for other services. It is because he possessed such expertise that we, his three offspring, were able to take Tae Kwon Do lessons and attain black belts.
After earning his PhD in Operations Research, Sei-Jong was a professor at St. Ambrose College and Northern Illinois University. As a father, he favored the “tough love” style with intentions of preparing us for a tough world. He never allowed us to believe we were victims of any circumstance or person. We were raised to believe we were the captains of our ships and that is an invaluable lesson.
During his final months, he shared with all of us the memories of the life he lived so purposefully, the people who made his journey worthwhile, and the many lessons he learned along the way.
He remains an inspiration to his family, friends and former students, and his intellect, quick wit and generosity will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
The Antidote
She told me she wakes up anxious. I recommended writing five things she is grateful for first thing in the morning – every morning – before she does anything. Just two weeks in, she said she feels happier each day.
Gratitude can replace worry.
The Ultimate Solution
The answer to every “problem” is presence.
Kismet 