The best laid plans....

It's difficult to believe that I haven't visited this page in a year and a half.  My intentions were pure when I began it, as I really felt a pull to share my thoughts and ideas.  Then, as it is wont to do, life happened. 

Suddenly, the hustle and bustle of one child heading out into the world on her own and the other preparing for final year of high school were all that I had time for.  My opinions seemed to hold no urgency of delivery and I decided to revel in what little time I had left as a full-time Mom. 

Amidst all of that hub-bub my Dad became ill.  Lots of doctor visits with no answers to a multitude of aches and pains.  I spent most of that process in denial though.  Always the optimist, I was sure the cause would be discovered, resolved, and life would go on.  That, however, was not God's Plan.  Apparently He had shared Daddy with the world for as long as he felt necessary and called him home in March.

The thundering reality of his absence hit me hard, but his passing came at a time when I was unable to sit in it and dwell.  My better half was literally working seven days a week and the munchkin was less than two months out from graduation and gearing up for college.  Aside from an unearthly wail that escaped me when I walked away from his casket at the end of the funeral, I showed little outward signs of the inward turmoil.

In hindsight, the busy nature of my life probably helped me through it immensely.  Now with things quieting down and winter settling in, there is enough time and distance to reflect without being consumed, and remember without crumbling into a heap.

So, I will begin to attempt this blogging journey again.  I hope you'll bear with me, and I hope to be able to convey my thoughts and ideas in a way that encourages and uplifts.