Opposites and Togetherness.

This week.

In some senses it's a complete blur

(which is why I write, so I don't forget)

And in other respects, time stood still.

Weird how complete opposites can co-exist.

Talk with my closest friends. | Sit silently alone.

Begin researching immediately. | Stop researching immediately.

Easy tears. | Eyes dry.

Is this even real? | Oh, this is very real.

What will 2017 hold? | I can't even go there.

Start a list of questions for the docs? | Not quite yet. That makes it too real.

Laughter. | Sadness.

And then,

right smack dab in the middle of the opposites

came togetherness.

While we wait until Saturday afternoon for my three loves to arrive,

-- which will make us fully together --

my brother Lenny and his gorgeous wife Sarah rolled into St. Marys 

at 1am Friday morning,

with the best - and cutest - nephews on the planet.

Straight off the plane from Dallas.

Well, that and a three hour car ride.

Together.

That's what we need.

Remarkable that God worked it out for us to all be

together, given we're scattered from Canada to Texas.

Amazing that somehow

the hard is made a little less hard

when together is involved.

And then that opposite thing happened out of nowhere.

Today's high and low were jumbled up together

in a crazy mix of opposite.

Heading out the door to be together with Lenny and family

as they played in the snow was the high.

Fresh air.

A walk in the snow.

Just together is all.

I was the last one out the door and as I looked back,

dad was sitting in the La-Z-Boy, with Coco at his side.

I asked if he was scared - projecting my own fears I think -

And he said, through tears, 

"No. I'm not scared. I just wish I could come with you all."

Tonne of bricks.

Not together.

His strength is fleeting.

Gone by early afternoon each day.

Just not fair, is it?

That's when the first wave of tears hit today.

He just wanted to be with us.

To walk a few blocks.

To hear his grandsons play.

He loves walking and until earlier this summer he was

walking 5-6 miles a day.

Strongest man I know.

And so today, opposites collided.

Together. | Not together.

But never alone.

"Be strong and courageous.

Do not be frightened

for the Lord Your God is with you

wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9