Riches

September 8, 2013

As I reflected on this long, busy, difficult week of saying goodbye to my Daddy I came to a realization that I need to share.  It's not a new concept, but it is one I tend to push to the back burner more often than I should.
I am rich; in so many ways and far more so than I deserve.  Here are a few of the ways in which I am rich.
I have a husband who loves me.  I recognize and acknowledge this on a regular basis, but it hit me in a huge way this week.  Wayne was willing to drop everything he had planned last Saturday in order to help me arrange a flight to Arizona and then help me pack and get me to the airport on time.  He then rearranged his week and flew out on Tuesday because I asked him to be there with me, drove from the airport to Tucson so he could meet members of my family he had not yet met, and then drove us back to Globe.  Wayne made flight arrangements for us both to fly back, then changed them when we needed to stay an extra day, and changed his again when it was decided he and my sister would drive a Uhaul truck back to Florida.  He took charge of locating, identifying, sorting, and labeling Daddy's tools and machinery (a daunting task!), and pretty much did anything that was asked of him or that he saw needed to be done.  Through all of this he smiled, laughed, joked, hugged, encouraged, and all the rest of the things that make him Wayne.
I have a sister who is a ROCK in a crisis and whom I love dearly.  Diana made the hard decisions, walked the rest of us through everything, made phone calls, took charge, and just DID what needed to be done.  She helped me laugh when I needed to, cried with me, made arrangements, helped me see reason when I was being a little crazy, and is, as I am writing, driving from Arizona to Florida in a Uhaul truck.
I have a mother and a step-mother who made decisions together and talked about Daddy together.  Mom told us the stories behind many of Daddy's things, cried with us, laughed with us, and helped make decisions.  They both loved my Daddy and I love both of them.
Catherine loved her Grandfather Dear (as he jokingly wanted to be called) and made the decision to miss a week of grad school classes in order to fly out and spend the week in Arizona.  She hugged, laughed, cried, sorted, told stories, did the majority of the work on the picture boards, sang, made sure I ate, and was a huge help.  I am thankful for such a loving daughter.
This week gave me the opportunity to get reacquainted with members of my extended family - two uncles, an aunt, three cousins, and a second cousin.  We haven't seen each other in many years and it was such a pleasure to spend time with them.  There were tears and hugs, stories and laughter (especially when we spent time looking at a box of pictures), and so much love.
And, then there are the many, many friends and family (from all aspects of our lives) who checked in on us on a regular basis, offered to help in any way, took care of things at home and work, answered my incoherent 3am Facebook messages, sent frequent text messages, sent flowers and plants and cards, prayed and prayed and prayed, and so much more.
I am indeed a rich woman.  And a thankful one.