THE UNEXPECTED BUMP-IN

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 187

What a whirlwind of a day. It was a great one at that, but I’m glad to be home. Now, just so ya know, today’s gabbing about gratitude is probably gonna be short.

Honestly, I’m a bit pooped. I spent about 5 hours zooming to the folks and back, and in between, we visited two senior living solutions, scoping out the landscape and services for what someday may be needed. While both solutions were wonderful, the ethos of each was quite different from one another.

Almost weekly, I visit our shut-ins, many of whom live in either independent or assisted living facilities. Facilities—honestly, I hate that term. Someone, please help with a better adjective or nomenclature for residential accommodations that house those who need a bit more care! That all said, today’s tours felt more surreal; one of these two solutions very well could become the next address for my parents.

Just as we were finishing the second tour, my mom ran into one of her church friends, and she just lit up like a lantern. Honestly, while the day was wonderful: seeing my parents and siblings (including my sister who I rarely get to see), the highlight of my day was seeing the smile on my mom’s face as she bumped into her friend from church. While the accommodations at both residential communities were stunning, seeing my mom witness people "doing life" with friends was icing on the cake.

Too often, when I visit our shut-ins, they seem so alone and isolated. While they’re not alone, it’s like they're lacking something, and I think that something is friends. In both places we visited today, I could see people playing cards with their neighbors, hanging out, doing life, and spending time with friends. And while my parents have been lifelong BFFs for the past 70-some years, having a few more friends nearby would be wonderful. And to me, that’s a reason to give thanks.

If you’re married like I am, chances are your spouse is your best friend too. I know mine is. And while we don’t do everything together, there’s no one I’d rather spend my time with. Yet, even we’d both agree, having a few more friends around is always good. Seeing the possibility for my mom today, it gave me a bit of joy.

Thank you, Lord, for causing my mom’s soul to just light up today by orchestrating that bump in with her friend. And thank you for reminding her that life won’t end if she has to move into a new living arrangement, but just might be a new glorious chapter for my folks.