Back in the Saddle (again)

 It’s been a minute.

I could wax eternal about life, the universe and everything in it, but I am (frankly) not in the mood to pontificate. If I tell you that the last several months have been a doozy…believe me. And we aren’t talking the fun kinda doozy, either.

I am not going to spill all the beans (or my guts) but trust me when I say that feel so much for those of you who are going through the fire. I also know that there are varying degrees of burns…and they all hurt.

For one, we lost my mother-in-law last November. She had been failing so we knew that we would eventually have to say good-bye. But there was always a small hope that she would somehow recover her strength. It has been a strange world without her.

We were with her when she had a massive stroke. One of the most heartbreaking scenes I have ever witnessed was watching my husband and father-in-law try and wake her up. Another heartbreaking scene was several days later when I heard my husband sobbing on the phone as his sister called him to tell him she had finally passed.

There is much more to the story but subsequent illnesses, and unrelated events have left me fatigued and heartbroken. I’m not sure how other creative-type people work, but stress does me in. My creative energy has gone into a free fall. I have only recently started to see flashes of inspiration from the corners of my eyes. It could be all of the pollen that is floating freely in Indiana but I like the idea of coming back to life just a bit better.

Those flashes of inspiration (or pollen…take your pick) have reminded me that I need to feed my mind and soul with beauty and hope. Part of that hope is to talk of God’s goodness…despite circumstances and situations.

So here we are again. The storms of life are not as violent as they were a few months ago…though the damage that has been done is lasting. We all are a little scarred and weather-beaten but are reminded that God is faithful and….in the words of the fabulous Kelly Clarkson…”What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”