It’s been a week. Sometimes those happen.
A week where it’s so good and then so hard. A week where the good makes you forget the hard, until you stop and think and then you remember the hard and it brings you to your knees.
Our kids were out for fall break last week. We packed up the car and bikes and made our way to California with friends. Our kids had never experienced the beaches of California and we were excited for them to experience the waves. (we usually hit the beach in Mexico which doesn’t typically have a wave you can ride).
We spent the weekend watching general conference, listening to our prophet and apostles and left totally inspired, ready to do good. And then we spent the next several days soaking up the waves and the beach.
We were on a high. But amidst the high there were some serious lows. Early in the week I had really been thinking and praying for so many farmers back in my home area who were working against the clock trying to harvest as much as they could before the snow and hard freeze settled on the whole state. Farmers are the hardest workers you’ll ever come across and mother nature was working against them and threatening so many crops. My heart was hurting for these people who had worked so hard and were kicking it into high gear in the 11th hour.
I learned early Wednesday morning that one of those hard working farmers back home, a friend from way back in my high school/early college days had lost his life in a farming accident the night before in his efforts to work late into the night. It’s been years since I’ve even thought about this friend and yet he consumed my thoughts with his sweet wife (who I also know) and their 4 young kids.
Later in the same day, we learned that Steve’s uncle also passed away due to natural causes. We knew he wasn’t doing great, but we weren’t aware of how soon he would pass. Luckily, Steve was able to see him just two weeks ago and we felt peace in knowing he had completed a great and fulfilling life.
To add to my emotions for the week, the next day I learned my dad had gone in for some testing. The blockage in his arteries is severe and requires a multiple bypass heart surgery tomorrow (Monday). It’s hard to see someone you love, who seems so strong and capable, face something as serious as open heart surgery – which is made even harder when I live far away.
And just when my mind starts to travel down the dangerous rabbit hole of how scary heart surgery really is, I have to remind myself that he’s so fortunate to have arrived at this surgery in non-emergency circumstances.
Just two weeks ago he was in a remote area hunting with my brother when he started to experience shortness of breath and pain in his legs. He’s fortunate that they didn’t shoot an elk and end up having to pack it out (which would have escalated his already dangerous situation). He was a ticking time bomb and I can’t express enough gratitude that he’s still with us today.
This week made me reflect on the idea that life is wonderful and full of joyful/happy moments. And in between all those happy moments there is sorrow, heartache and fear. What’s hard to comprehend is how we can experience that range of emotions so fluidly.
