It. Was. Wonderful.
We got there around 12noon. Mom got home from shopping around 5:30pm. We left around 8:30pm. It was great.
Dad looks awesome! Really. He said he wishes people would stop telling him that because he doesn't really feel any better, and I told him that he may not notice the difference day by day, but since it had been 10 days since I had seen him... he looks awesome compared to 10 days earlier, much improved.
Honestly, if you didn't know better, you really wouldn't even know he had a triple bypass just a couple of weeks ago. I mean, he's tired, and still took two naps that day, and has to be really careful moving around, can't pick FireGirl up yet, etc. - but other than that, you'd never know. He didn't need to take any pain pills the entire day, had no acid reflux the entire day (a huge improvement), and really just seemed to feel great, no matter what he said.
While he & FireGirl took their afternoon nap, I downloaded some pics from my mom's camera onto our laptop. We usually do this regularly, but were already behind when all this happened, so had about two months worth of pictures to download. Oh, and my mom is a total camera-hound, so there are always a ton, which I am grateful for.
I couldn't help but get choked up at the pictures from late November. Pictures of FireGirl playing outside with her grandpa. There was a moment when I realized the "what if's". What if his doctor hadn't ordered the stress test? What if my dad had decided to reschedule it till after the holidays? What if? What if? What if? I stared at this one picture forever. I just couldn't help but think that at one point in time there was a very real possibility that it could have been the last picture ever taken of FireGirl & Grandpa together.
So after they woke up, and Dad felt good enough to move over to the couch so FireGirl could snuggle in next to him (he can't have her on his lap just yet) to watch her "show" (30 min DVD of kids songs to video of kids & animals), I couldn't help but just sit & watch them. At one point I thought of getting up to get the camera, but I didn't want to ruin the moment, didn't want to miss even one second of it.
I left there that day happier than I'd been in a long time. Renewed. Appreciative of the life we've been given. Appreciative of second chances. We all get second chances, don't we, in one way or another? Chances we don't necessarily deserve, but are mercifully given anyway.
My heart is full. I am in love. Life is hard, but life is good.
You know what else?
God is good, all the time.
All the time, God is good.
1 comment:
Smile:) I learned all to well almost a year ago that life is way to short, and not to take it for granted. I hope fire girl gets to enjoy her grandparents for years to come. I am so glad to hear such positive things happening for you again.
Post a Comment