Happiness is not something that occurs on its own when there are no bad things happening.  It is our ability to find joy amidst the tragic, to add colour and life to the mundane, to find meaning in maintenance.   Suzanne Clydesdale.

 Chris brought in the New Year saying the rosary.   Around twenty after twelve I woke.  Looking at the time, I turned and hugged him and said, You made it!  You made it to 2015!

People often express sympathy for me, caring for a loved one who is leaving this world.  Sympathy is not necessary.

You  see, Suzanne Clydesdale is right about finding “meaning in maintenance”.  Being able to take this journey with someone you truly care about?  Is a gift, not a burden.

Not that there aren’t problems or concerns.  But there is growth, there is recognition.  There is a new and fresh perspective.

I see how precious my own health is.  How much it needs nurturing.  How a healthy body is a key to a happy and productive long life.

I realize how forces beyond our control—genetics, environment and other external forces—can change our lives in an instant.  And that realization fills me with knowledge of the beauty and frailty of every moment of our existence.

I see how love encourages, refreshes, comforts and challenges us. How words and actions, no matter how humble, how common-place, can make an amazing difference in someone’s day.

Dying is a journey, and I am watching someone bravely advance in that journey day after day.  It is my privilege to be at his side.

If I did not want to be here, then I would need your sympathy.