Deerest Friends

Most Darling Friend and Good Sir,

This letter finds you almost 10 weeks overdue I fear.  My texts tell me that your storm started at the beginning of September.  I ask you would forgive the lateness of my reply.   My greatest hope is that your community is still loving on you in these painful times. 

It was with distress that I heard of Good Sir’s cancer diagnosis from our mutual friend.  To be frank, it had been a crap day with each of my children in tears for one reason or another.  When I added my care giving trials to the mix of our unemployment saga, I was ready to swim into the strait with hopes of getting eaten by an Orca.  When our friend texted, I sat down under an apple tree and had a sniffle.  I am truly sorry you are in the middle of such a storm.  What a trying time for all of you.

I thought perhaps I should write to you in the spirit of encouragement to express my extreme fondness of your family. I am not writing much these days but thought I could manage a letter after I walked the puppy. However, at 10:45 this morning, I left to take the dog for a walk and the following events ensued…

10:45:05  Child 3 heads to the car as she is my designated walking buddy.

10:45:25  I let the dog out the back door to join Child 3 in car.

10:45:27  Child 3 gets diverted by the sight of 5 deer and goes into the back yard.

10:45:48  Dog goes to Child 3 instead of car because Child 3 smells like toast. 

10:45:48  Dog finds Child 3 and catches scent of deer.  Dog decides deer smell way better than toast and starts to chase deer family across the back yard to hug them with her mouth.

10:45:50  Child 3  starts shouting for Dog to return.

10:45:52  In the kitchen I hear Child 3 screaming and run outside, upsetting the cockatiel, who was resting on my shoulder.

10:45:53  Bird, terrified by my erratic behavior commences emergency shrieking to inform Child 2 (his owner) that the world as he knows it is ending.

10:45:55  Husband jumps up to rescue Bird who is headed for the chandelier and the 2nd floor where Angus the Persian cat lives.

10:45:57  Child 1 hears commotion and runs outside to assist Child 3 who was last seen running into neighbor’s yard.

10:45:57  Wasp outside is terrified by Child 3 running past his house and commences  emergency shrieking to inform hive the world as he knows it is ending.

10:46:00  Child 1,  running valiantly after the dog and sister, in stylish yet mildly impractical heels, dashes through the garden and knocks head on badly placed lower limb of a tree.

10:46:07  Child 2, having retrieved the cockatiel from her father, places bird in time out and heads outside to assist sisters, both of whom are staggering through the neighbor’s yard.

10:47:00  Child 3 is classified as an enemy combatant by wasps and is stung 4 times.

10:47:01  Child 3  commences emergency shrieking, shouting “Those bastards got me! They got me! Bastards! Bleeping hell!**”  While careening across neighbors beautifully mown grass.

10:47:04  Dog wonders what her human sisters are screaming about and turns for home.

10:47:06  Child 1  catches Dog who is determined to save her human sister from an unknown foe.  Due to momentum and lack of sensible footwear, Child 1 immediately falls over and is dragged behind rescue dog.  Seeing the evil wasps on her little sister, she screams at Child 3 to take off her shirt.

10:47:07  Husband looks out the window in time to see his 14 year old daughter ripping off pieces of clothing, streaking across the garden in her bra in broad daylight followed by wasps, Child 2, Child 1 and Dog.   

10:47:15 Child 1 manages to grab dog in death grip and shouts encouraging pre-nursing program advice to Child 2, who has managed to grab a nearly naked Child 3,  and is leading her past her stunned father, upstairs to the shower.

10:47:45 Husband and I are left downstairs in the living room, secretly blaming the other for most of what just transpired.  Dog blames management and eats the cat’s food while she thinks no one is looking. 

All of this actually happened.

So my dear friends, you can see why I wonder if I am the best person to encourage you, when my entire existence has been reduced to fighting to get through the next 30 minutes.  The irony is, some trials are so hard and they require so much energy, but they come when all personal resources seem to be in short supply.  It is in this place of lack that I find myself praying for you today.  

I wanted to remind you both how precious you are.  You are the type of folk who exist in the lives of others as a source of stability, generosity and kindness.  Your legacy is well and truly alive in your children and it possesses the weight and momentum of eternity.  You are doing such a good job.

You are both simply wonderful people.

And so my prayers Good Sir, are that God will grace you with every healing and a knowledge of his presence.  That on the days he seems very far away, that your mind might hold onto the truth that he is near, and loves your family deeply.  The _____ family was created by God to bless others and make his name shiny.  I am praying that God will see fit to lengthen your days and that you will hold your grandbabies. You are a kind man, so rare in these times.  We are asking God to heal you.

And darling Friend, I am praying for peace for your heart.  You are lovely and so wonderfully practical… and short.   I am praying so many things for you my in heart I could trip over my thoughts.  Sometimes God seems far away in our times of suffering.  I wish I could make you tea and remind you how wonderful you are. 

Lord Jesus,

Please bless my friends with great courage.  We ask for healing grace to flow from your throne to Good Sir.  That you would keep them both in your shadow, so that the valley does not seem so frightening.  I ask for signs of your fingerprints all over everything, because they love you and they are your people.  Restore them Lord, I ask in Jesus name.

Thank you for being wonderful people.  We are praying for you and thinking of you often.

With every fiber of my aching heart,

xoxK