New Year's Eve 2018

Here we are New Year's Eve 2018. I feel the year went by so fast, how about for you?
I continue on this journey of finding joy through grief.  I'm so very thankful for family and friends that give their love and support to my daughters and myself. 
Since 1981 New Year's Eve has been very special because that was the night my husband Paul and I met. His big brown eyes and great big smile are what took my breath away and he told me of all the girls he saw that night I was the one he wanted to get to know.  Little did we realize that night that we would get married and have four amazing children together.
Each New Year's Eve since 1981 we always went on a "date night" as a way to remember and celebrate our first night of meeting each other.
This is the second New Year's Eve without Paul and I have to say that I'm feeling sadness and happiness.  Of course, I'm sad he is no longer here, yet I'm happy that we had so many wonderful moments together.  So today, I went through photos from our Florida Honeymoon in 1983. It's been so fun to reminisce and share the photos with my daughters. I love the smiles on our faces.

Reflecting on happy moments is one way for me to find joy through grief. Perhaps for you, in your grief, this may be helpful to you.  If you find this helpful, feel free to share with me in the comments below. 

Thank you for visiting my small, humble blog.

May God bless you in the New Year, 2019.

With love,

Patty

Christmas Season

 The Christmas Season for me and perhaps for you, can bring so many emotions when you are missing your loved ones that are no longer here with us on earth. The twinkling lights and decorations everywhere I turn are so very beautiful and lovely to see, yet at the same time they can also bring me to tears. The tears are there because I want to be able to share the Christmas Season with my son Joe and my husband Paul along with the rest of my family members that are here. In my heart, I feel this OK to have these tears because the tears show the love I have and always will have for them.

I still find happiness in the Christmas Season. I find happiness and joy to spend time with my family and friends. 

Most importantly, the Christmas Season is about the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. God sent His Son to become human to live a life as we live. In John 1:14 tells us "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth".  The birth of Jesus is the greatest gift we could ever receive. Jesus delivers us from sin and death. In Matthew 1:21 "She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." We have this promise that through Jesus we are saved from all our sins.

My prayer for you is that in your sadness and missing your loved ones, you will find some happiness. Perhaps recalling a favorite memory and sharing this memory with friends and family members will bring some happiness and joy to you.

Thank you for visiting my small, humble blog.

Merry Christmas!

Patty