Seeing Love

For those of you who know my families recent turn of events, you will know that my mom lost her husband just about two months ago. That is hard for me to believe Barney has been gone that long already. For those of you who knew him, you knew what a kind, generous, loving man he was. He gave and gave and gave until he had no more to give and God called him home. As I watch my mother, who had finally found her love after all these years, go through the VERY difficult process of starting life without him, I am amazed. She has an amazing strength, courage, and determination. I know some of it comes from the madder she gets the more determined she gets but I also believe that I am watching someone fight for the love of her life. I know they were only married 14 months, as it has been pointed out to her and us all recently, but it that 14 months we were all blessed with seeing a wonderful love. There are those in his own family that knew him much longer and missed out on that love. They never stopped thinking of themselves and what "they" wanted long enough to appreciate what they had. I am so grateful to have been able to see that love for myself.

Jeff and I have talked a lot about my mom, what she has been through, and what has happened since. We both hope as we grow older we will have many, many years together but we also know that life about expecting the unexpected. Loving someone doesn't start or end on a certain day, it is forever and sometimes starts in an instant. Love can be tested, or easy, or leave this earth all to soon. But I believe it never leaves you and I only hope that someday my children will be able to say they saw love and know what a wonderful feeling it is.....