Good times and hard times at Christmas

Hi everyone, I hope you had a very nice Christmas. Now that I am back to work, the question everyone asks is, "How was your Christmas?" I don't know how to answer them. If it is just in passing, I say, "It was good," but if I have more time and feel led, I share a bit more. Because the truth is, Christmas WAS good. But it was also hard this year.

The main reason is because of my grandfather. We lovingly refer to him as "Pop-Pop". And Pop-Pop is not doing well. He is 85 (I think) and his health is quickly deteriorating. It has been bad the past three years, but I noticed it especially this Christmas. He struggles with all sorts of health issues: Parkinson's, depression, he has fallen three times this year and broken something everytime. He just fell last week and broke his arm and is now in a wheelchair. He can't talk, he just mumbles so I can't understand him.

This is hard, you guys. If any of you have had grandparents like this, you know what it is like. I love him so much and it is so hard for me to see him like this. He poor body is failing. I feel like he is on the brink, if that makes any sense. I got to sit with him on the couch Christmas afternoon and that's all we did. Just sat. I had my arm around him and told him I loved him and just sat in his presence. I could see his face twisting up in pain as he tried to get comfortable. I remember looking into his face and just thinking, "Oh Lord...please take him home soon." I want him to be in heaven where he will no longer have pain or suffering and will get to be with JESUS! It will be hard when he is gone because we will all miss him, but I feel like it is harder for me now...watching him struggle just to survive.

So, that kind of occupied my thoughts this Christmas. My family is wonderful though. Everyone was taking care of him, loving on him, making sure he was included in everything. On Christmas Eve we always go to the grandparents' house for dinner and singing. They wheeled him in to where we were singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" and I watched him mouthing the words with his eyes closed. I was so blessed by that. Although he couldn't sing the song like he once could, he still knew the words.

I will share one fun story before I close up. Everytime I think of it, it brings a huge smile to my face. This happened Christmas Eve at the service at my old church. All my relatives and I took up a whole row (towards the front of the sanctuary) and my cousin Jeremy (who is 5) decided he was going to go from lap to lap down the whole row. Now, my old church is a very big Presbyterian church. You sit and stand when they tell ya and there's not a lot of noise between things. It's pretty formal, I guess you could say. So, the pastor is praying and Jeremy is climbing from person to person. We're half listening to the pastor and half wondering why the heck his mom is letting him do this during PRAYER and it comes to be my turn. He climbs to me and then starts to climb over to my mom. His bottom is totally in my face. And then, JUST after the pastor finishes his prayer, Jeremy lets out the LOUDEST TOOT ever!!!! I mean, our church ceilings are HIGH...that thing echoed like you wouldn't believe. I was so shocked, I fully jumped in my seat. Then, my sister Liz and I were dying, shaking with silent laughter, trying to NOT seem immature but HOW COULD WE NOT?!?! The timing could not have been more perfect.

At home after the service, all my other relatives commented how not only did they all hear it, but the whole church probably did as well. My cousin Chrissy's husband (Mark) said, and I quote (pardon the language): "It was like the angry war cry of a turd." To make the story even better, we found out later from my aunt and uncle that he actually POOPED his pants when he tooted! I mean, that's how bad it was, friends!!

Gosh, I love my family. Through the good times and the hard times.