Day 9, Grateful Journal

I figured I could count last post, "Happy Thanksgiving" as my day 8 :)

1. Today, I am grateful for the spirit of Christmas that comes when we unpack our Christmas decorations.   We completed our Christmas decorating today, and as the kids were putting up their nativity scenes, I got to read a little bit to them from Luke (so nice to have the scriptures handy in my cell! - hey, I could use that for another "grateful" item :)  It was nice to bring that spirit of Christmas into this home for the first time, for our family.  Lance and Kyle got to read a few Christmas books with me today.  I love this time.
2. I'm grateful that we got to have Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with Jared.  He was working, of course, and we got to meet him at work and enjoy lunch with him.  I have to say that, honestly, I wouldn't mind doing it that way all four years that we are here.  I got to enjoy the morning with my kids, putting up the Christmas tree, instead of cooking like crazy.  Then, after the delicious all you can eat turkey dinner, we picked up our plates and threw them away.  NO DISHES!  I was about to wipe off the table when Jared reminded me, "They'll get it".  See, that's what I'm talking about!
3. I'm grateful to have had this amazing Gramma in my life.  Here is a poem that she wrote and gave to her dad, Harold Walter Miller. The date on it was 11 May 1949. She wrote, “He must have thought enough of the concept to have kept it all these years.” She found this poem among his things after he died.  Grampa put it in the program for her Memorial Service.

LOOK UP...WEEP NOT




When the candle of my life is blown out,

Don’t bury me in the cold, dark ground.

But take my ashes to the highest hill,

Where below the countryside,

Nature in her wedding gown is peaceful,

Yet alive with the beauty of existence.

And my loved ones, left behind to weep,

Will lift their faces to the heavens

Where the sun

And the wind

And the rain

Will mingle with the tears and loneliness

And wash them away,

Leaving only happy thoughts

Of days that were and are to be

For both the left behind and the gone beyond.

I want no hanging heads

Or tears wetting the bleeding hearts

That cover a mound of earth.

I want no gravestone, hard and cold,

Keeping my spirit down.

I want to fly with the skylark,

And run with the weaving brook.

I want to dance with the blowing trees

And sing with the wind and rain.

Lift your face

And heart

And soul,

For I am not gone forever

But have changed my garments of worldliness

For the cloak of godliness.



~Janet M. Tilton~