Date: 11/28/21
For too long, I have neglected my blog, and Christmas is almost upon us. Probably time to swap out the pumpkins for the jingle bells.
For us in Waukesha, it is also a time of mourning. The horrific Christmas Parade tragedy affected the entire community. Reminding us that in the midst of joy, there is sorrow, and in the midst of sorrow, there is joy.
2021 had its share of both. My sister’s death of ALS in May was followed a few days later by the birth of my fifth grandchild and second grandson. This was immediately followed by his diagnosis of transposition of the great arteries, a potentially life-ending condition. Then after two surgeries and many days in the neo-natal ward, our resilient little guy went home. Then, there was Covid. We celebrated when the vaccine was approved, were discouraged by the Delta variant, encouraged by the vaccine approval for the younger crowd, and again disappointed when we learned of the Omicron mutation.
In the midst of all this, my nephew received an email from the wife of the young man who, with the help of his family, bought our family farm. They are referred to in String Too Short to Tie. In the email, this young woman thanked us for giving her husband a chance to purchase the farm and create a new legacy. She also sent the photo above, showing him and their newborn son standing in his cotton crop.
In this season of Advent, I am reminded that out of sorrow, joy is born anew.
