The Silver Lining

I live near Ridgeway, SC.   In the town there’s an archway, all that is left of the old school.   It’s a pretty cool relic.   I’ve always referred to it as “The Portal To Another Dimension.”   In many ways, I feel like I stepped through a portal into another very strange dimension called Myasthenia Gravis. So many changes, everywhere, in such a short span of time. At home, there are subtle differences in our living space.   There’s a chair in my bathroom because I can’t always stand up to comb my hair, brush my teeth, or put on my makeup.   It’s just exhausting, and I sometimes find it easier to do those things seated.   In the corner of the bedroom, there’s an overnight bag.   It’s my “Grab and Run” hospital bag.   Already packed with pajamas, toiletries, a phone charger, other odds and ends that I’d need for a hospital stay. There’s a squeeze respirator in a basket in the den; another one is in the car. ...

Our lives are personal journeys; we don't start out with a roadmap or even a particular destination in mind, but we make it step-by-step and day-by-day. Sometimes we stand at a crossroads, puzzling over what choice to make or what direction to follow. At times, the choices are easy; some decisions are made for us by parents when we are young or by circumstances when we get older. Other decisions require a lot of thought and prayer. More often than we realize, we're given signs along the way. God uses subtle, everyday objects to help guide us along life's paths. And He uses Big Bang, Knock-You-Over-The-Head tactics as well. We arent often tuned in to His signs. I wonder, sometimes, if He watches us stumbling around here, waltzing all around what He desires for us to do, ignoring the hints He's strewn in our paths. He probably rolls His eyes at us sometimes, as we miss even the most obvious signposts every now and then. I remember wrestling with a life-changing s...

It has been a really hectic couple of weeks for me! After working 30 years for the Great State of North Carolina, I have retired! My last day teaching school was April 9 – the day before Spring Break. All last week still felt like I was on break, but this morning – for the first time since 1978 – I am NOT up and out the door headed for work! As if retiring wasn’t enough of a “lifestyle change” for me – I’ve also been in the process of moving in with David. We’ve had a “commuter marriage” for the past two years, only sharing weekends together as I finished my 30-year hitch. He bought a neat home a few years back that we’ve been working on. Well, to be honest, HE has worked on it. I’ve thrown in some ideas here & there, but he’s done most of the work. When he bought the place, it was in foreclosure. Vandals had broken out several windows; there were some “remodeling” projects that had been stopped mid-way, leaving huge holes cut in walls. David has done a lot of work in the yard; he ...