Six Years Ago and Yesterday

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Facebook since my middle son passed away three and a half years ago.  I have the Facebook feature “On This Day” set to open every morning and remind me of what happened on each particular day in years past.  Today, July 6th, 6 years ago we picked our middle son up from the airport for the last time, as he had been honorably discharged from the US Navy and was coming home for good.  It was a day everyone in our family had been looking forward to for many, many months.  16 months, in fact.  We hadn’t seen him since the end of March the year before.  16 months is a very long time to go without seeing your child.  It’s been 45 months, now, since I’ve seen my middle son.  A very long time.  And it will be longer still, if God wills.  So this picture was the first thing I saw this morning when I opened up Facebook:It’s blurry, but I think this is the most beautiful picture taken that day at the airport, moments after our son got off the plane he came home on.  It is my husband hugging our son for the first time in 16 months. Right after this picture came up, a picture of my niece’s brand new baby, still in the hospital, came up. Such a juxtaposition of feelings this presented me. A beautiful picture of one of my most precious blessings, tragically taken from this earth and from my life three and a half years ago. And a brand new life given to a young couple to love and nurture to adulthood. Six years ago today was one of the happiest days of my life. Yesterday was probably the happiest day of my niece’s life, so far.  And I am simply elated for her.  I know what that feels like – to be granted such an awesome gift from God – to be entrusted with the raising of another human being. Six years ago today I (and my entire family) struggled to go to sleep, we were so hyped-up with excitement and happiness. If you are a parent, you know how sleeping has been for my niece the past couple of days! I am tempted, as I often am, to allow myself to slide down into the abyss of sorrow that pulls at my heart almost everyday. Instead, today I have rejoiced with the rejoicing new mom.  A new life has begun; new parents are just setting off on an adventure that will outshine every other pursuit in their lives as they learn to relax and cherish every moment. This is one of my favorite pictures of my little family, in the hospital after our middle son was born, some 29 years ago:“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.  How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.”  Psalm 127:3-5