In Gratitude

I feel like I need to write a post about gratitude and the lessons I've learned this last week. It has definitely been one of the hardest weeks I have ever had, one filled with deep emotion, deep humility and a whole lot of gratitude. It was exactly one week ago today that we sat down together as a family with several doctors who told us that our father/f-i-l was not going to live. He was/is very sick and that his heart would never recover from the massive heart attack that he had. I can't even tell you what it feels like to know that someone you love is going to die without you being able to tell them you love them. We were pretty hopeless that we would ever be able to talk to Scott again but we knew that our Heavenly Father had a grand plan for him. This is where my gratitude comes in. I do not know what we would have done if we did not believe what our faith teaches us: You will see the ones you love again and that life on the other side is a whole lot better than life here on this earth. That brought me so much peace to know that as painful as it is for us left behind it is a joyous occasion for those who leave.

I am so grateful for this knowledge. I am grateful for wonderful family and friends who swing by the hospital just to see how we are doing. I am grateful for a husband who is able to not only bless me, but bless all of those around him. He has been the leader of this family, when we were all leaning on him. He talked calmly to the 100+ people who would show up at the hospital, and he would cry with them and laugh with them. I am grateful that he was able to give his mom a blessing of peace and she felt it. I am grateful that he was able to give his father a blessing, surrounded by 30 angels (family, friends assisting in blessing), that his dad would know how much we loved him and that it was ok to lay down his armour and stop fighting. I am grateful that he would sit out in the waiting room for 12+ hours a day (since last Thursday) to greet anyone who would show up. I am grateful that his heart is so tender that he can not bear to see his dad in pain. I am grateful for his love for me.

I am grateful that I have wonderful family and friends. What I've learned this last week is that there is nothing better than serving those around us. There is nothing like sending a small text to say I am thinking of you or crying with me on the phone. I know that life gets busy and I tend to be one who can't handle all the things going on. But I want to thank each and every one of my family and friends for being in my life. I love you.

This morning Scott woke up when we walked in and immediately reached for my belly to feel his new grandbaby growing! He got a big smile on his face. I think he met him/her while in his deep sleep and they told him that they needed their Papa to be here on earth in May when it arrives. We hope that can happen but if not we know he will watch over him/her in heaven. We are praying that doesn't happen because we know he will be teaching our little tyke to give us hell when they arrive, just like his little timmie did to him.

Below is a family photo that we had taken on Saturday, October 25, five days before this all began. We are so grateful that we had these photos taken, what a cherished thing.

If you would like to stay updated on Scott's journey you can follow it here.