Skip to main content

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:


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Day 347: My Big Fat Greek Salad!!

I have perfected the art of making a Greek salad!  I have made two huge bowls in the last week. My kinds rave. Essentially the secret is f vegetables , good feta cheese, Greek olives and a homemade dressing made with light, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar,  and oregano. Here is my recipe: MY BIG FAT GREEK SALAD Serves 4 hungry adults 4 cups greens (I used a "spring mix" from Fred Meyer) 2 cucumbers 6 roma tomatoes one small red onion 1 cup cubed feta cheese 1 cup Greek olives (pitted) Get out a big bowl. Peel a clove of garlic, cut in half and rub it over the interior of the bowl.  Wash the lettuce if it is not prewashed and packaged like mine was.  Dry the leaves, and tear into bite sized pieces. Throw into the big bowl. Note: Romaine lettuce is good to include in the mix, because it is hearty. Peel the cucumbers and dice. Add to bowl. Cut the roma tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds (otherwise they make th...

Year Two, Day 307: Chasing Away The Gloomy Weather...with Music and a Smile! :)

It seems to me that most of the city is depressed, tired and sick. I still have my low grade snuffly nose, along with sneezing, and itching eyes.  Low energy. It is nice to know I am not the only one. Misery loves company, don't you know! Even through the gloom, I had an enjoyable day.  I told myself several times that I really am a lucky woman. My kids are grown, I'm going to be a GRANDMA, and I love my work. My church job is a nice secure little job and it seems I am quite needed there.  I am still learning the ropes. But I am enjoying it. Meeting new people. And best of all, I have only a 1 1/2 minute commute (by foot!). I have a cozy little room in a household full of wonderful laid back people.  People who love animals and music. But best of all, my afternoons are filled with music. I basically get on the bus and travel about town, sitting at pianos, visiting with students, who are like my family. We talk. They play the piano for me. I offer pointe...

Year Three, Day 110: I Like Change, But How Do I Help the Suffering?

I woke up in a bit of a panic this morning. I had planned on getting to the track by 6:30 a.m., because I thought today was the first day of school. You see, the public is not allowed to use the track when school is in session. Understandably so. But alas, I overslept! I still headed out with my hoop, hoping it was before school hours at 7:30 a.m. And I breathed a sigh of relief. The school looked vacant. And only one solitary jogger with her solitary dog was present. I got busy in case the kids were due to arrive. Got a nice hoop workout in. No sign of children as I walked back to the house. So I did what I should have done in advance. I consulted Google. And most happy am I - North Clackamas School District does not start back to school until September 6th! Portland Public Schools start today. But the elementary school next door to the track lists "student hours" as 7:45 - 2:00 p.m. So I really am going to have to get an earlier start next week. I am aiming...