Gratituesday: Two Years Ago Today

I always have much to be grateful for and I always have need of remembering exactly what those things are. Participating in Laura's Gratituesday is an excellent way to do so.

Today is a very bittersweet day. Two years ago today, my Daddy died and life has never been the same. We have recovered to a degree and gone on to create something of a new normal but we always feel his absence. How very thankful I am that he is not still here with Cancer and sick and miserable. That I would not want. How thankful I am that all things considered, the process of his death and dying went as smoothly and well as it did, without some of the dramatic twists and turns that could have occurred.

One of the things I am the saddest about when I am really missing my Dad is that he is not here to see my girls grow up and more importantly for my girls to grow up with, especially P3. When he was obviously dying before she was going to make it home, I told him he was responsible for taking care of her until I could. I want to share a sweet 'conversation' I had with P3 recently. It was her bedtime and we were in her room rocking. She was looking up at me and I was talking to her about several things including her Pop.

Me: "Did you get to meet your Pop in Heaven before you came to earth?"

P3: Nods a couple of times.

Me: "Did he tell you we were coming?"

P3: Nods a couple of times.

Me: Did he tell you ice cream was really good stuff(Pop's favorite)?"

P3: Nods head vigorously.

I miss my Daddy but I am so grateful to have my P3. She truly does fulfill the wondrous thought shared with me by my friend Lisa:

When God takes something from your grasp,
He's not punishing you,
but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

In case you are not familiar with Gratituesday, here is the concept. Run, not walk over to Laura's Heavenly Homemakers blog, swipe the Gratituesday graphic and put it on your blog each Tuesday...along with a post about something that you are grateful for! Then come over to HeavenlyHomemakers.com link up with Mr. Linky...so that we can all read and be encouraged by what you're grateful for! That's it...piece of cake!

Gratituesday+Parenting