Today is the celebration of my dear husband’s 65th birthday. I am planning on having a little celebratory dinner tonight for the event. It is something to look forward to after coming home from a day at work.
Evenings and nights are the hardest on this journey. We used to sit down before dinner with a glass or two of wine and talk, talk, talk, laugh, encourage one another, or hash things out. Oh how I miss that! It is so dang QUIET here and it can be overwhelming at times.
We were together most of the time as he was more or less retired, taking care of our place, and I work part-time. There is plenty for me to do around here during the day and I have my moments of crying, I occasionally talk to DH and talk to God quite a bit throughout the day and I sometimes laugh at what my husband might say about something I’m trying to do. When it’s time to call it a day from those activities, the quietness bears down. (I don’t watch TV, I hate it. We were only watching Survivor, but didn’t even do that when he became bedridden.)
After a quiet supper, the kitchen gets cleaned up, I visit blogs, read emails and answer them, then read some. Right now I’m reading the book, From One Widow to Another and it is a great help to me. Plus I re-read that beautiful piece I found by Octavius Winslow, it really touches and blesses my heart. The lovely widow who sent me the book I’m reading has a blog, and she asked if she could post that piece on her blog and now other widows are reading it and printing it out to have to read whenever they need it. God is wonderful!
I haven’t really gotten back into doing my needlework projects just yet, but look forward to doing so soon.
Today my dear husband is celebrating his birthday with Jesus and oh the joy and the talking that must be going on there. I will raise my glass in a birthday toast to DH and to God also for the life together we were blessed with. I am thankful.
FlowerLady Lorraine
I will raise a glass to DH tonight. My prayers are with you.
ReplyDeleteLove and Hugs
Hi Lorraine,
ReplyDeleteI did the same for my husband after he passed. My children were young (6 and 7 years old) We had a birthday cake to celebrate his birthday and sang "Happy Birthday" to him in heaven:) It helped in our healing, too! Cindy
Hi Lorraine...I, too, will raise a glass to DH tonight in celebration of his birthday and continuing "new" life in Heaven. Much love and hugs to you today.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a widow, so I don't know what it's like, but you are doing wonderfully. I do live alone and you get use to it. I like my solitude now. I sometimes turn on the tv or the radio if it feels too quiet, just to make noise. I imagine your husband is looking down on you and telling God what a wonderful woman you are and how lucky he was, but God already know that doesn't He.
ReplyDeleteBirthdays are hard, very hard after they are gone. But it is a day of celebration, as it was the wonderful day he was born! There are a few channels of old movies,and some inspirational ones too that may be ok. I also do not watch much TV. Big hug !!!! Gina
ReplyDeleteSending hugs to you as you take one day at a time. You are blessed to have good memories and a home built with love.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple friends whose husbands died after prolonged fights with cancer. One of them has kids at home, and they also celebrated his birthday with a meal he would have liked, and cake.
ReplyDeleteLet those tears flow when they come, and then receive comfort and strength from God.
Oh, Lorraine, I'm so sorry to hear of your husband's passing. I will be keeping you in my prayers. You won't believe this, but December 20th is my DH's birthday, too. He's 76 now. I'll be reading your new blog and sharing your company in spirit. One thing I've figured out is that living isn't a voluntary thing or even a matter of the will. As long as the breathe of life is in us, we move, one step and then another and another whether we think we can or not. We just do. It doesn't seem possible, but we move on anyway. We'd like to stop, rest, fall down and never get up, but somehow we don't. That Footprints poem must be true -- when there were only one set of footprints, He was/is carrying us. That must be why we keep going even though we have no strength or desire to do so. Sometimes we joyfully walk beside Him, and sometimes we are tearfully carried by the One who loves us most. We cry, and He cries with us and for us. Unless we really think about it and about Him carrying us, we aren't even aware that we're in His arms, but we are. It makes me think of a book I've had for years, "Practicing His Presence". Here's a link: http://www.christianbooksbibles.com/product-p/9780940232013.htm?gclid=COepnsb5r7QCFZGiPAodUmwApg If you don't have it already and want it, email your address to me and I'll send it right out. It's short, only 63 pages, but powerful. (Back when my copy was printed it was called "The Practice of the Presence of God".) "For in Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28
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