We all have our own ideas and definitions about grace. To me, grace is acceping what life brings me. My own spiritual test is not about living trouble free, but accepting the hard blows of all of our lives with patience and acceptance.
I don’t speak poorly of my life, or wade in the dark pool that is self pity. The last fear years have changed the trajectory of my life. Because of heart and other issues, I can no longer help with many of the chores I did for years on the first Bedlam Farm, and now, the second.
Maria, who has so much work of her own to do – making her quilts and potholders and hanging pieces, shipping them, creating them, all while getting up early to feed the animals and staying committed and productive. Talk about grace.
She is in her studio now as I write this making up for the time she lost today driving me to and from my car dealer, who is handling the 25,000 service in Bennington,Vt..
We finished dinner, blew out the candles and she said she had to head out to her studio to make some potholders, she just had an idea of something she wants to do.
I remember always hauling the garbage cans out to the curb in Hebron and for awhile here. Now I am told, I shouldn’t do it. I was a little surprised to see Maria go sailing past me, beaming as if she was heading out to see her favorite movie.
Bleess her, bless her, if you cam smile while hauling a garbage receptacle almot as tall as you are, then I take my heat off to you. Thanks sweetie, for your grace.
Awesomely gorgeous words and story. Such grace is healing to behold. You have lifted my spirits. Thank you, Jon.
Typo – I meant to say, “words and photo”. Because your photo of Maria is breathtaking.
IMHO, it’s all about attitude. You both seem to have great ones.
My wife’s 30 yrs younger & I also have an 11 yr old step daughter. We both work. I do all the cooking & dishes, feed the dogs, grocery shopping & other minor chores. I don’t mind it a bit. All of us love my cooking so that’s a plus. We’ve been together over 8 yrs & never had a fight.
Attitude.
Jon…
I recognize this one: my wife is also a bin hauler. That is, she was until her surgery. Now, I step in temporarily. But if I oversleep, the bins willfully disappear to the curb.
For me it’s a task; for her it’s fun.
Who’d ha’ thought it. Beauty in a garbage can photo but any photo with Maria is beautiful.
We used to share can-hauling, who ever thought of it first. Now it is my husband’s chore–never a peep out of him. He has taken over so much. I am in line for the new mitral valve clip on my heart. It is almost non-intrusive = through the groin then up to the heart.. My cardiologist has OK’d it and now I have echo grams lined up. Yes, I am jumpy about the whole thing but I am just out of hospital after another heart failure episode and I am so thankful that this new procedure now exists as the older open chest surgery was not possible for me.