The Smallest Gestures...

Last month I was overwhelmed by a sense of sadness & bittersweet gratitude one evening when my mother was visiting from Fort Wayne. She announced that she was heading to bed in the guest room, stood up & walked over to me. As she leaned in, I kissed her on the cheek & said, "I love you, Mom."

I headed toward my room to prepare for bed. I thought about my father's passing nearly 12 years ago - October of 2002. Twelve years seems like a long time. Mom has not remarried. And, knowing her, most of her days probably feel pretty similar to when he first went to heaven.
She somewhat got her identity from him, what he was, what he did...

I thought about her living alone in the home she & Dad purchased when he retired from full-time ministry 16-17 years ago. I thought how it must feel to go to bed almost every night now without the embrace of a loved one or a kiss on the cheek or a word of love. How might it feel to wake in the middle of the night to a silent home and a cold bed? I tried to think how that would be. It was pretty hard to think about.

In the beginning of 2012, I read Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, and accepted her JoyDare challenge. I list three blessings a day on a post in my "drafts folder" each month. I add pictures along the way, attempt to proof it & post when the month ends. That September night I was once again reminded... the smallest gestures we make might have the most profound affect on another person. This goes for positive, as well as negative, things. I hope my small kiss that night blessed her heart. I know it certainly had a profound affect upon mine.

The picture above is of my mom standing beside her home in Fort Wayne. My September #JoyDare No. 2934 was "kissing my mom goodnight"

For monthly posts of my #JoyDare list, search my blog for the label of #1000 Gifts.

Linked with the Nesting Place community through the write31days challenge, October 2014 - post No 4.