Silly, isn’t it? Today, I woke up and immediately placed myself firmly in lack. The struggle is NEVER over. That’s why I need so many tricks! Yes, today I woke up and thought, “This day isn’t for me. My dad AND my husband have died.” Well, NEWS FLASH: When WAS this day about me? Satan whispers, urging me to look at self, to care about self…..which is okay, UNLESS it is meant to put you in lack! This day never WAS about me! It was about paying tribute to dads in my life. Now that they are gone, my duty is over. No making special breakfasts, lunches or driving to see my dad, father-in-law or Larry’s grandpas! No cards I forgot to buy!

If I stay away from the card aisles, church and Facebook, I can make it an ordinary day and it will pass, just like the rest. The pull to put myself in lack has come, but I refuse. I live in abundance, in the many blessings God has given to ME. They don’t look like the blessings some get because they are MINE. Likewise, the blessings you get are YOURS. Neither of us has to hide them in shame because someone else doesn’t have them. They are ours to enjoy. Not boast of, but enjoy. I could dip down and give into placing myself in lack. It’s so easy to fall into a pity pit. You fall and are there for days. Perhaps you’ve bought party hats, expecting to have a party in that pit, but you will find that no one wants to join you at your pity party, no matter how many invites you send out.

The first Christmas after Larry died, I went out to Phoenix to celebrate an early Christmas with my son, Matt, and his family. Matt and I sat in my hotel lobby, wrapping gifts for our celebration and, as will happen, the incongruity of wrapping gifts and trying to be jolly welled up in me, and I started crying. I managed to murmer, “I miss dad so much…” I will never forget what Matt said next. He said, “I miss him too, mom, very much, but one thing you have to remember is that there are far more of us still here, hoping to have a happy celebration, than those who are not here.” I let that sink in for a minute.

These celebrations sweeten our time here on Earth, but we must never mistake them for the BIG EVENT. None of our ‘markers’ here on earth: births, weddings, Father’s Day, even Christmas can compete with the REAL world, the REAL life up in Heaven. They are just little ways to make the best of our time here on Earth, learning, training….. When a runner stops for a glass of water, it isn’t the end of his race. He doesn’t celebrate. He takes a very welcome drink, perhaps pours a few on his head to cool himself, then continues on his journey, refreshed and strengthened to reach the end of the race. He would never claim that those oases (that is the plural of oasis!) were the big event. The big event is crossing the finish line! These markers, though difficult, were meant to refresh us until we reach Home. If you don’t need one, don’t stop at it! Quite naturally, we will miss any empty chair but we should do our best to focus on those chairs that aren’t empty! Father’s Day is more difficult because there aren’t that many people to honor due to the solitary position of father, and, when they’re gone, what do you do? I will do my best to honor those dads by posting their photo on Facebook to say that I will never forget them, but then I will go forward into my life, grateful. I had a dad! I knew him! He knew all my kids! I had a husband who was a legendary dad! My kids knew him well! He saw every one of them graduate from college! He saw each of them married. He got to know four of his grandkids and knew about two more on the way!  That marker is COMPLETE! What of the people who still don’t know who their dad is? What of the people who never got to meet their dad because he died in an accident, at war, etc.? What about the childless couples who aren’t able to conceive? You want cause to make this a difficult day, they own the rights to that! (If you have a dad to honor, take this to heart as you rush around, signing cards, trying to be everywhere at once. There will come a time when you will be done with your duties, and, believe it or not, you will miss it.)

This is a perfectly good day that will never come again. It will never, ever be June 18, 2017, again. Be happy in this day!!!! Wag your tail in today! There are DIAMONDS in this very day, waiting to be discovered. I expect them, though I have no clue what they might be.

Happy Father’s Day in whatever way you choose to celebrate it…or not. After all, June 18th is just another day, no matter what Hallmark tells you!

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I am writing this blog early today because, later today, I will be taking Bijoux, my tiny white ball pomeranian of ridiculousness, to Ms. Donna’s home to see the Dolly Mama (that’s what I call Bijoux’s mother, whom her owner, Ms Donna, calls “Dolly”)  and her other pom friends for a week while I tour Washington DC with my family. I’m going to need to pack, tonight, and, knowing me, I’d rather write than pack, so I’ll just write my blog early so I won’t have the excuse. If you see a second blog, you will know that this writer has failed. You see, I put the PRO in procrastination.