It was one month ago today when mom took her last breath on this earth. The picture above was taken just a little over a year ago on October 22, 2014 when I was visiting. I don’t know if mom enjoyed Steak-n-Shake the way I did, but it was a routine stop whenever I was in town. We don’t have Steak-n-Shake in Wyoming, so it is imperative to get my “fix” each time I am in the St. Louis area. Mom would have a strawberry shake and I would have chocolate. Some things were consistent like that.
The circumstances of my own life colliding with the Season of Advent has led to a significant amount of reflection lately. As the Church shifts our attention squarely on the end times, mortality seems to look me directly in the eye. Due to mom’s death last month and my own heart troubles over the past year, the reality of death is very prevalent in my mindset. The shortness of time on this earth and the length of eternity is not something to be taken lightly.
The process of grief is taking place in my life. Even though thirty days have passed since mom’s death I still want to reach for the phone every evening to give her a call to make sure she is okay. After doing that for years, it is a hard habit to break. It will take time.
I hope the first week of Advent is a tremendous blessing in your life!