By the way, everything was focused on that Gordon fella as we turned north but, as is often the case, storms do what they do and there would be no visit from Gordon. Instead landfall was well over 100 miles to the east. Our first night got us as far as a town called Villa Rica Georgia and we did have this one phone call from Wendy's mom. She was complaining of pain and not feeling well but assured us all will be fine, keep on going and enjoy the grands. So we did just this, navigating early morning business rush hour in Atlanta and headed for South, then North Carolina. But this phone call was to tell us that once again, I believe the 4th time in 3+ months, Wendy's mom was hospital bound. My goodness, Wendy gets upset, conflicted but the word on the ground is keep going north. And we did. We arrived Wednesday evening to share some play time and dinner with the NC Talbot's and to get ready for Calvin's birthday #6 the next day. But reports from home started to convey some not so favorable news about the mother-in-law, nothing life threatening but disturbing nonetheless. Friends and family helped out but here Wendy is in North Carolina and her sister is home sick with a bad and contagious illness that would not be good around their mom. I want to make sure folks much closer to us read this carefully as I, screwing up again, misread the situation back home and inferred, in a public reply that Wendy's sister did not go to help out. I was wrong; she was sick and could not go help out so I apologize to the one I hurt for not only my error but my indiscretion at how I handled things that day. Despite being with our NC family, it was tense and remains tense, relative to her mom's condition as we just don't know much. Information has poured in slowly.
Thursday was Calvin's big day but now, as a student in elementary school, there is no grandparents pulling grandkids from class for an all day fun day. We did, however, take our youngest NC grand to a children's museum and had a blast with her. Believe it or not, this was the first time Wendy and I had ever taken Katelyn on an adventure, just the three of us, in like forever. What a fun and grand time! I took a ride with my son to pick up birthday boy Calvin and experience the joys of car line. That's quite the production. All I will say is despite this particular school's organization, car lines are not for me!! The afternoon brought fun, games, a pizza party for dinner, a special 6 year old cake and some nice presents. I guess since he is the 1st born grandchild we have never missed a single birthday party for Calvin! Today brings more "no news" from home and it also brings another outing with Katelyn as Calvin does the school routine. We took her to Build-A-Bear, a first time experience for us. After lunch we got home for naptime and get this; Wendy took a ride with Sara for school pick up and I am home supervising Katelyn's nap and subsequent wake up routine. Yep, this should be interesting.
There is still plenty to experience tonight and tomorrow along the lines of birthday celebrations and then the all too soon departure on Sunday for home. And there will be no delaying departure as we, especially Wendy, is anxious to get home and see what the heck is going on as her mom remains hospitalized with little plan of action so far.
Thank you, good readers, to allow me to occasionally use this blog as a personal kind of journal. I actually like having stuff to post that is more personal and intimate about who I am, who we are as a family, as well as my diaconal ministries and all the comings and goings of Holy Mother Church. In this one post you may focus on my role as a father, grandfather, husband, etc. In other posts you may focus on my role as a deacon, a member of the clergy, a minister, a confidant, a friend. I'd like to think all of these things are aptly captured in these pages. But in this post and not to be diminished is someone who still is capable of sin, sin against God and another, and one who is far from his goal of striving for daily holiness. These landmines that I allow to become launching points for ill tempered, hurtful and unnecessary behavior are sincerely of great concern to me and something I keep needing to work on; and yes, I mean keep working on. There is nothing good or right about saying or doing anything to anyone that causes hurt. I did that this week. I have shared with that person my sorrow and regret but I know I've been there done this before. Upon my return I will ask for greater help in this area of my human, personal and spiritual dimension as a man, a deacon, and just one member of a greater family dynamic than myself. With age comes wisdom; well, sometimes, not all the time. For that I am gravely disappointed.
There are a couple of things of infinite importance to me as I blog away with tiny grandchild upstairs napping; to continue to celebrate family, especially my NC family as we are here, to specially celebrate with Calvin as he is now 6 and in what we call "real" school, to keep involved and abreast of what is transpiring with Wendy's mother-in law back home and to hopefully be allowed to reach out and ask forgiveness for my trespasses and to use what is at my disposal, especially the love and mercy of God, to gain better handle on still "hanging on" failures and shortcomings. This road, this journey of life comes with all kinds of ups and downs, good times and bad, joys and sorrows, smooth sailing and bumpy roads and turbulent seas. Most of the latter are self inflicted, at least in my case.
So for now, I will focus on the remaining 30 hours or so with the NC family and wish my grandson Calvin a most special Happy Birthday:
And can I request prayers for my mother-in-law Lynn, our family and for our travels this coming weekend and prayers too for the person hurt by my words. My God continue to have mercy on us.
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