Back when Daddy and I used to do a lot of shopping together, we had a little motto: “Whoever said ‘things won’t make you happy’ wasn’t buying the right stuff.” It rang especially true at Parisian, my favorite store of all time (and I miss it even now).
I still think some things can make you happy—at least in the sense of giving you a boost of confidence or maybe distracting you from what’s in front of you while you summon your courage to face it. But my choice of things has changed over the years.
Then: the perfect pair of taupe Liz Claiborne pumps I wore for years. Now: bird feeders. Then: a wool plaid blazer with padded shoulders (it was the 80s—what can I say). Now: L.L. Bean slippers that feel like clouds on my feet. And windchimes. And the first daffodils of spring. (I don’t sound over the hill, do I??)
The past seven months have been tough for Dave and me, and I'm grateful to friends and family for reminding me now and then that sometimes we all need just a little something for ourselves right now as we take one step at a time, one day at a time, toward something that seems just around the corner one minute and out of reach the next.
Healing can be a long, long journey. But Dave and I can look back and see God’s hand guiding us every step of the way—to the right hospital, the right doctors, wonderful nurses—and I know He’ll guide us through it all. So yes, I will keep filling my bird feeders and wearing my cozy slippers. I'll keep adding wind chimes to the Story Shack and taking a moment to admire the daffodils. But I’ll also try to remember this:
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
—John Newton
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