Share Four Somethings: November 2021

There are months that go by in a blur, and so far, November has been one of them.

I say this every time, but it’s hard to believe it’s already time to link up with Heather Gerwing for another Share Four Somethings post. But here we are, so let’s proceed.

• Something Loved

I’ve written quite a bit about losing my parents these last few years. Now, somewhat unexpectedly—or at least sooner than expected—we’ve had to say good-bye to Randy’s dad too.

Biff was a North Dakotan, through and through. He was solid, kind, salt-of-the-earth. He was a wonderful husband and grandfather, a good dad and dad-in-law, a gentle and generous friend. It warms my heart to look through all of the pictures of him with my girls—playing, fishing, reading, talking.

His short-but-courageous battle with cancer is over. We take comfort in knowing he’s with Jesus and that we’ll see him again someday. But it’s still hard to imagine the world without Grandpa Biff.

• Something Heard

With Thanksgiving coming up, it seems fitting to share a couple of songs that have been a great encouragement to me over the last several weeks—”Weary Traveler” by Jordan St. Cyr, and “Rejoice” by Andrew Ripp. I hope you’ll listen and be encouraged too.

• Something Treasured

Somewhere in all the boxes of my parents’ stuff, I found a picture of my family that I’d never seen before. It was of my parents and my five older siblings, in a cemetery. The littlest girl, my sister Ruth, had her back to whoever was taking the picture. My parents were looking down, and my brothers were grimacing into bright sunlight.

Something must have happened during the development of the photograph because half of it is faded nearly to white. Quality wise, it’s not a good picture. To me, though, it was an amazing find because it shows my mom pregnant. With me.

I’m the sixth of seven children. There are very few actual photos of me when I was a baby, and even fewer of me as a child. My dad took a lot of slides, so I’m in all the slides of the entire family. But as far as pictures of me in scrapbooks, there aren’t many. And as far as pictures of my mom when she was pregnant with me? I had never seen one in my life.

I don’t know why, exactly, but the picture touched a tender spot deep inside me. To my amateur eye, it didn’t seem very possible to restore the picture. But Randy encouraged me to look into restoration options.

Forty-one dollars later, I have the whole picture. The color isn’t great, and my dad sort of looks like a zombie. But it’s of my family during the summer of 1970—a few months before I was born. And it’s a treasure to me.

• Something Ahead

As John Lennon penned in a song—and I’ve repeated several times in this space—“Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” In other words, just when I think I can use a pen to write in my planner again, something happens and the pages get filled up with marked-out events and appointments.

That said, what is ahead is the Christmas season—my favorite time of the year. Even during years of extreme stress and sadness, my holiday home has always been a sanctuary of comfort and peace. I hold my expectations loosely, but I hope for more of the same this year.

• • •

Now it’s your turn. Chime in with your own set of somethings—loved, heard (or read), treasured and ahead. Or, if that’s too much for this week, simply share something for which you are thankful this year. And—most importantly—have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with Inspire Me Monday, Share Four Somethings, #tellhisstory, InstaEncouragements, Recharge Wednesday, Let’s Have Coffee and Grace & Truth