I Remember

Remembrance Day....A Day of Remembrance - If you are a long-time reader of my blog this post will sound familiar. I first wrote down some of my thoughts 3 years ago, and then last year I added to it again. Funny how year after year this day brings the same memories to mind.

Today I remember all day long:
* Remember my uncle who I never met because he lost his life on the Russian front. 
* Remember my uncles and grandfathers who fought on a variety of fronts.
* Remember Dave's father who was a nose gunner flying missions over Europe where he was shot   down in the same area where my uncle was in the artillery on the ground.
* Remember my son-in-law who daily puts his life on the line as he works in police work. Today he will be marching in the Remembrance Day parade in their city.
 
But I also remember a Remembrance Day weekend 38 years ago when I spent the entire weekend in the hospital while pregnant with our son. I was on total bedrest, wondering what was going to happen, with no inkling that come Monday morning they would induce me and Jamie would be born early Tuesday morning. We thought we had 6 weeks to wait - boy, were we ever surprised with this little bundle that joined our family!

And then there was another Remembrance Day just two years later, when I spent another weekend in the hospital while pregnant. This time I was 16 weeks pregnant with Heather and had to have an emergency appendectomy in the middle of the night! We spent the next few days praying that God would protect the life of our unborn child followed by 6 weeks taking care of a rambunctious 2 year old while 'not' lifting.

The final Remembrance Day weekend that I remembered today happened 8 years ago already. How can that possibly be?  But this time it was our daughter Heather that was pregnant and we spent time together several days in a row that weekend, planning for the birth of their twins. It was full of excitement and hope. But the weekend didn't end up with a healthy baby, but two little girls, Avery and Sophie that were born to heaven that Monday night. Our lives were turned upside down and heartache and tears filled the days to follow. Heaven became more real, more dear now that our two precious granddaughters were there. I miss you little sweethearts and Remembrance Day will always be filled with thoughts of you.

This year Remembrance Day has brought some additional thoughts, thoughts and memories filled with three families that have lost a parent this past weekend...two were mothers fighting cancer, and  expected in some way, but saying goodbye is still so hard. The other was a father, a husband...totally unexpected...all three in their 60's...our age, still so young we say.

So today I remember....the joy and the sorrow, the highs and the lows. And through it all, I remember God's amazing grace that is always more than sufficient!