we've returned

We have just returned from our "emergency" trip to Alabama to be with my Grandfather. He's still frail and has been in and out of the hospital for months. We had another scare this week which resolved itself. Still, the reality is that his body is less able to function. We got to spend some good moments with him this weekend. I decided to go ahead and travel since time is often precious in situations like this. I like to live my life by a "no regrets" motto and being there for family has been an important part of this. It's so hard for me to realize that there a lots of people who never knew the Grandpa I watched as a child. Most of the people in his life now know him as a stroke victim who is paralyzed and cannot talk. (He can normally sing, but not talk. There have been a few moments of clarity in his speech, but those are rare.) I will always think of my Grandpa as on of the most inventive, original, hardheaded, handy, and smart people I've known. I will always remember his trip to Hawaii to visit Dave and I. We went hiking on the park service trail at night with flashlights to see the volcanoes erupting on the Big Island. There were only reflectors to mark the ever-changing trail. (It was reset each day according to volcanic activity.) He still manages a smile when I remind him of times like that.

I've got much more to blog, but so little energy tonight. I'll leave you with a Grace story. Tonight she looked down through the hallway railing into the family room and said, "Hey Mamma, come up. Let me take you to talk to Jesus." I went upstairs immediately. Who could resist a moment like that?