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Year Four, Day 194: Grateful for You

I had a big bowl of shrimp pho for lunch today. It hit the spot. My sinuses cleared, my spirits lifted.

Nothing like pho for comfort, pho sure!

I was needing extra comfort. Today was a difficult day.  My heart is aching. I was asked to play the piano for a sweet older couple. They are members in the church where I have been playing piano and organ for the past month.

I woke up feeling better than usual.  Possibly because I had a plan.  My plan is to eat whole foods, and stay from gluten, fried foods, processed food and sugar during my eating window.

I had a lovely walk to the bus stop. I had plenty of time for coffee and two ham, cheddar and pepper sous vide egg bites at Starbucks.  I tried the cold brew coffee for the first time with my signature splash of whole cream and two shots of sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup.

It was lovely!  It was nice to have time to sip and ponder, study the Bible and pray. And still plenty of time to walk to the church and warm up before rehearsal.

I was putting together my music when people started to arrive. I checked in with the bride. She had requested "Ave Maria" for her walk down the aisle. I asked her if she had a wedding party. 

"Oh yes", she beamed. "A whole lot of them!"

It turns out she had most of her family there to walk down the aisle before her. I told her I could play Canon in D for the family. Then I would pause for drama before I started Ave Maria.  She agreed to wait until she heard a few notes before she started to walk.

The beauty of this wedding is that they are older. I love that.  And they held the rehearsal at 11:00 a.m. with the wedding to start at 2:00. I like that too!

However, this is a sad story.  The rehearsal had just begun. People were taking their places, when a phone call came in. The bride's son had a massive heart attack. He might not survive, she was told. 

She turned pale. The pastor asked if she would like to cancel the wedding. She nodded. We gathered in a circle, holding hands and prayed. Then she, her fiance and immediate family headed to the hospital.  I do not know if he survived. I sent urgent messages to all my praying friends. And I continued to pray as I spent the next few hours practicing alone in the church.

My hear is aching.  I can't imagine getting the news of a loved one's collapse, especially on what was supposed to be a day of such joy.

In a moment, one's whole life can change. And really, our lives on this planet are fleeting. I can't help but be ashamed for my own self pity and despair.

 I am praying for a miracle for this woman's son. His name is Tom.

I hope and pray the whole family has comfort during this time. And that he knows how much he is loved.

I will leave you on that note.

And know that whoever you are, I am so grateful to know that someone on the other side of this screen somewhere, sometimes reads my words.  I am grateful for you, dear reader.

Happy Saturday.

Love,

Zita

p.s. I did hoop this morning! I need to remember that it makes a big difference!

Day 143:


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