A Week of Memories

There are dates on the calendar that bring back memories.

Sure Dec. 25, Feb. 14, Aug. 8 and Aug. 14 are dates that bring back memories. But there are those other dates that when I look at my calendar and see them my heart leaps with joy at the memories, or it falls to the pit of my stomach.

This week is a mixture of both.

My first date was on Oct. 31. I was a sophomore in high school (& way to young to date), a senior asked me out, and because of his good reputation, and to save me huge embarrassment, my parents let me go. I was so excited. And nervous. Before I could go on my date I had to take my 7 year old sister trick-or-treating. Sounds harmless, but it wasn’t. Abby was dressed as a cross between Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper. Oh, it was just bad, but she loved it. I wish I had a picture.

I was hoping to get back so I could hide her before my date showed up but wouldn’t you know he was early & I was on time and he saw her. I was so embarrassed, but he thought she was cute. Now that I have a 7 year old girl I can see where Abby was quite cute that night, but as a 15 year old I didn’t think so.

I love to think about all the fun times I had in high school. They really all began that night.

This week 15 years ago, I received a call that my biological father had died. The circumstances were anything but pleasant and I was stunned. Our relationship had not been what it could have been, but the love I felt for him was strong. Strong. I had grieved the loss of grandparents but the loss of a parent, no matter the closeness, is something all together different. I wasn’t real close to his family and I was nervous about going to the funeral. Stephen was my rock that week. I couldn’t have done it if I had to have done it alone. It was the first time in our marriage we had had to deal with anything heavy and devastating. And we did it well. I’ll never understand the whys of his death, and from my experience the past 15 years, this week will have a sadness to it for me.

I’m so thankful for a God that exchanges my sorrow for joy and my weeping for gladness. And for giving me a girl so that I think Abby could have possibly been cute that night so many years ago.

Julie