Three More Days

Christmas is SO close! Three days. It's amazing that time can hurry itself up so incredibly fast. Every day I wake up and think of someone else I have to get a present for, or something I forgot to do. I realize that this is NOT the way I should be spending my Christmas season, you know??? My New Year's Resolution is to be more prepared for next year's Christmas. By, say, July.

Today I spoke with my Mom. She said she was having the worst day of her life. But you know, I went over to visit with her tonight but she refused to talk about it. Something to do with work, I guess, but she won't mention it. We got her flowers, but my goodness, what does that solve? The only thing keeping her going is that she gets three days off in a row. She is supposed to have Monday but there's too much work NOT to go in. I said I'd help her. It's difficult when someone you love so much is entirely frustrated and yet you can't really help fix the problem.

On the upside, I went to my sister's nursing home today to listen to the North Muskegon High School choir perform. They did a nice job and the residents loved seeing Helena. I asked Andrea how she could stand seeing these people whose bodies and minds are just wasting and they're so far gone. She said, "Well, I know I love them, and that's all that matters." It didn't strike me at the time how profound that is. Here's the thing: She really does love them. Sometimes they smell a little bit, and they don't talk, and there's no outward beauty. It doesn't make a difference to Andrea...she loves them all.

"Dear Baby Jesus, how tiny Thou art...I'll make a place for Thee in my heart."