Turning 50

I am not 50 yet but I am getting closer.

Rob would have turned 56 in January.

I remember when he turned 50.

It was a celebration for us.

He had been pretty sick once or twice that year

and we had a “scare” that he wouldn’t make it to 50.

But he did.

He made it all the way to 52 years and 8 months exactly.

My birthday is a couple of weeks away

I will be 47.

It is not something I dread.

I am aware that I am getting older.

I am aware that I will be one step closer to 50.

But it truly just does not bother me.

Getting older just means that I am still alive.

I

am

still

living.

And that,

in and of itself,

is a gift.

A gift.

LIFE.

It is a gift.

A delicate gift.

A gift to be enjoyed

and well-lived

but not to be taken for granted

or taken lightly.

I learned that so well on the day that my Rob’s life on earth

hung between the balance of life and death.

That line between life and death.

It’s such a very thin line…

…something I never really understood until that day.

It truly was as if I was peering through that very, very thin veil…

So this gift of life I have on this Earth.

I am so incredibly grateful for it!

I am grateful for new mercies each morning!

I am grateful I am here for my children!

I am grateful that, every day, I am closer to 50!

I am grateful for the

strength,

mercy,

and grace

God has given me to live the life I am living!

For me,

as it is for most,

my life has been about

joy and sadness;

gaining and losing;

giving and receiving;

giving birth and covering graves;

many, many tears

and many, many smiles!

And, before I totally paraphrase Ecclesiastes 3, let me get to the point of this post.

I know someone who is turning 50 today.

And I am asking for prayer for that person.

This person is a good friend of mine.

He is married and they have 2 very young children.

Sons who are aged 6 and 8.

And this week,

this friend of mine,

whom I have known for almost 28 years,

was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Although I would love to say that I cannot imagine

a father being taken from his children before

they are old enough to truly internalize and embed

their father onto their hearts and into their minds,

well,

I just cannot say that.

I can not only imagine it.

I lived it.

It happened to my children.

Our girls (who were 29 and 15 when their dad died) remember their dad very well.

Our almost 15 year old son (who was 11 when his dad died)

remembers his dad pretty well but he described it to me the other day like this:

“When I think of my dad, it’s like he was a favorite character

in a great TV show

that doesn’t play anymore.”

Our 12 year old son (who was 8 when his dad died) tells me often that he’s

“sad I cannot remember my dad on my own” (without prompts or photos).

So, unfortunately, I can certainly imagine it.

And I NEVER want to imagine it for anyone else’s family.

I SO MUCH WANT THEIR STORY TO END DIFFERENTLY THAN OURS!

Which is why I’m asking you guys for prayer!

Prayer for complete healing.

Prayer for restoration.

Prayer for the correct treatment plan.

Prayer for his wife and sons.

Prayer for healing.

Prayer for healing.

Prayer for healing.

His first name is Danny.

(He gave me his permission to share his name).

And after you pray for Danny,

please be sure to hug those you love.

Life can be short.

And what I’ve learned in my almost 47 years about that is 

that, even when God blesses you with many years on Earth,

life is STILL too short

to not let those you love know it

AND feel it!

So, taking my own advice before I even wrote it,

I called Danny today

and sang Happy Birthday to him!

I also told him that I know he’s had better birthdays

but it’s still his 50^th birthday

and I’m glad he got to celebrate it

with his wife, sons, and all

of the family who visited!

He laughed and answered,

“That’s right and I am blessed.”

LIFE.

It’s worth celebrating!

Happy Birthday Daniel!