My sailing friends know how to be thankful
Posted By RichC on May 4, 2012
I received a needed lesson in blessings and being thankful today. My sailing friends Mark and Judy Handley have been sharing their daily lives online for many years while cruising around the world. Their circumnavigation ended over a year ago, but Judy continues to document their return to a “somewhat” more normal life. Unfortunately this includes Mark dealing with chemotherapy treatments, a return to work and continuing boat (their home) maintenance. But … along with the challenges come blessings. Their daughter and her family are close … close enough for them to see everyday. Their challenges are viewed through the prism of being grandparents … something Judy documented as “blessings” in her ‘log’ entry and recent photos — below, Mark rests after a chemotherapy session as his newborn grandson sleeps in his arms.
From handleysail.com:
Mark’s not feeling great, the weather is crappy, the work on the deck is not getting done, but one photo changes all of that. This afternoon Mark went with me to pick up Sam and Jonah and then we both spent the afternoon at Heather and Jed’s. Mark slept on the sofa with Oliver and through the lens of my camera I saw just how much we have to be thankful for. Oliver’s hand with such smooth soft skin next to Mark’s hand, rough through years of use, brought tears to my eyes. How lucky we are to be here, close to grandchildren, while Mark is going through these months of chemotherapy. He is smothered in love from Sam, Jonah, and Oliver as his body is fighting this battle, and I’m certain that love will win. Then tonight we had a Skype call with Justin, Jo, and Ziggy. Ziggy was having a late afternoon nap. We watched him sleep through much of the call, but finally he came to life. He looks like he has doubled in size since we were there at Christmas. It is so hard being so far away, and soon it will be doubly hard when Ziggy’s baby sister is born. But we are conjuring up ways to get the whole family together in the fall. So tonight, instead of complaining about those things that are not perfect right now, all I can really do is count my blessings.
Posted via email from RichC’s posterous
Comments