Life is so full of blessings and I try to remember to enjoy each of them as they happen and appreciate them – and roll with the punches when life doesn’t go according to the scripts I write in my head. I always know that God is running the show but my controlling nature often wants to take over and let Him rest which is NEVER a good idea.
Last week I surprised Burl by asking him for a date on Saturday night – movie and dinner. We both seem to run in opposite directions so many days and I felt we needed a “time out” from the rat race and a night to ourselves. We love seeing our friends and social gatherings but I was feeling selfish so he readily agreed to Saturday night!
On Friday night we played couples golf at our club with friends Ron and Barb and then all enjoyed dinner at Houlihan’s where we used our 417 magazine half-price gift certificates. Always the big-time spenders! Saturday morning I had signed up for a charity bicycle ride and I was thrilled when Burl offered to take me and pick me up. He loaded up all my gear and I was able to drink coffee and read the paper as he played chauffeur on the way to the start. My friend Merrill and I opted for the 50-mile ride and were thrilled we didn’t try to 70-mile route after we encountered tons of big hills, lots of headwinds and a hot and humid day. I appreciated her staying with me for the entire ride because my buns were dragging the last 10 miles.
Saturday evening we had our date – just us! We had originally planned to see “Winter’s Bone” but it was no longer playing so we saw “The Switch” – a romantic comedy that we enjoyed very much. It was fairly predictable (no surprise!) but mostly just a feel-good movie that didn’t tax our gray matter to watch it. We followed the movie with dinner at Millwood – a place we enjoy since they carry our favorite beer. Beautiful summer night, tons of fun.
More relaxation followed on Sunday – late breakfast at IHOP, walk with the dog, relaxing in the pool and then dinner at Tammy and Steve’s. Steve smoked some pork chops and chicken breasts and served them with smoked new potatoes with fresh rosemary – all accompanied by a yummy salad. Our contribution was some homemade ice cream we had in the freezer. Best of all was just sitting on their deck relaxing and visiting with them – and of course seeing all of Tammy’s shoe photos from her trip to shoe market in Vegas last week. You can check out her adventures on her blog
As we drove home I once again had that sense of being so thankful for Burl and for all our family – that our kids are all healthy and doing well, that we have such fun with all of them, that our lives may be very ordinary but we are so rich in what really matters in life. It’s a sweet life and I’m richly blessed.
Then we got home and I glanced at Facebook to see that a dear friend, Dennis Whaley, had coded yesterday following open heart surgery on Friday – and he was not doing well. I started sending prayers to Dennis along with his wife, Teena and their daughter Sara and hubby Jason. Sadly the collective prayers of his hundreds of friends were not sufficient to save him – he left this earth about 10:15 last night.
News of his death greeted me this morning as I drank my coffee and looked for updates on his condition. I was stunned. This wonderful man who never met a stranger, who was always kind and friendly and lived his rock-solid faith every day had died at the age of 58. Dennis lived his life by Christian example – he was a true believer who lead by example. No wonder God wanted him in heaven.
I’ve been sad all day and have talked with so many other friends from Rotary who all agree that Dennis’ death leaves a big hole in our community and especially for his family. We are left with wonderful memories and great stories to share and while we feel a great loss, I know Dennis had no doubt about where he was going.
It’s bittersweet – just knowing Dennis and looking at his example inspired me to be a better person and now he’s gone.
Think of those people who matter in your life – and make sure they know how much they mean to you. Fortunately, I had a chance to share my thoughts with Dennis before his surgery.
Thanks to God for letting Dennis be a part of my life.
So sorry about your friend. I didn’t know Dennis, but there have been a couple of articles about him in the local paper as well… sounds like he was a wonderful person, and will be so missed by family, friends and the Spf community.