Pain Wasn’t On My Agenda Today

Well, it wasn’t on my agenda the last two weeks either.

I find it interesting how I deal with pain (physical and emotional). . .Two weeks ago as I was leaving my home for work I stepped on a small piece of ice on the steps and my right knee went down the 3 steps before I did.  Needless to say, my knee twisted and the lower half of my leg ended up behind me being sat upon by my more than medium sized rear-end. . .

Okay, enough of the humor for now.

It is not easy living life day to day when you are in pain, any kind of pain.  I have things to do,  places to be, meetings to be held and grandchildren to cuddle.  All this other stuff wasn’t part of the plan.  So I am a bit complain-y today.  I don’t like pain, I don’t like crabbiness, and I really don’t like telling all of this to you.  However, I know I am not alone in this.

What can be done about it???  First of all and truly, I do thank Jesus for allowing me to share in his sufferings.  To some it may sound absolutely crazy to say that, but I do believe in the power of redemptive suffering and offer it to Him.  Next, I try, through all the crabbiness and tense-ness to understand what it is I am supposed to learn from this pain.

My pain is caused from a fall.  What am I learning about the fall???  I am learning to watch where I walk for one!  But beyond this, perhaps it is a lesson in slowing down and paying more attention to those around me.  Being better to my husband, my children, not to mention myself and more than this to God.  I know that things get neglected when I am unable to do what needs to be done.  I am more than thankful for my husband Tom and my son Brian for their help around the house.  I am thankful for my friends and the rest of my family for their love and concern, their prayers and their fun loving ways of lifting me up.  I am thankful. . .hmmm, Thankful???

Yes, thankful.  No matter what this life brings, no matter the pain, the sorrow, the joy, the accomplishments I must never forget to be THANKFUL!

May you be blessed friends!

Sandy Ozanich (c) February 27, 2014

Book Review ~ Warrior Mother by Sheila K. Collins PhD

Book Review ~ Warrior Mother by Sheila K. Collins PhD.

Book Review ~ Warrior Mother by Sheila K. Collins PhD

I just finished reading a book called, “Warrior Mother”.  I enjoyed it.  I have met the woman who wrote it.  Sheila K. Collins PhD.  She talks about the heartbreaking and soul fulfilling situations she shared with two of her adult children as they died.  Her son, Ken died from HIV/AIDS and several years later the death of her adult daughter, Corrine from Breast Cancer.

This is not a dark book. . .it certainly has dark moments, but the moments of light and life are much more uplifting to those of us who have suffered similar trials.  God has a way and He brings us through to the light of an otherwise desperate situation.  I suggest you go to Amazon.com and purchase Warrior Mother by Sheila K. Collins.  May you be blessed!!!

Sandy Ozanich (c) February 24, 2014

To My Best Friend Shirley Who Is Now With God

My hasty note about my best friend, Shirley Grossman who had just been diagnosed with lung cancer in the spring of 2009

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What can I say to you

my sweet friend?

Ever since I heard your diagnosis

my heart wept. . .

Don’t let it be so. . .

Don’t let it be her. . .

What I can do is to be here for you

Hold your hand, be quiet,

Talk with you or just sit.

We’re fighters, you and me. . .

Just don’t count you out ~ not yet!

~~~~~~~~~~

I love you Miss Shirley!!!

From your friend, Sandy Girl!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Shirley passed to the Lord in March of 2010

Sandy Ozanich © February 24, 2014

To My Father. . .

Wherever you are. . .

When I first learned that my father was not my “real” father at the age of 14, I was just bewildered, not really mad or angry.  I just felt kind of weird. I remember the scene so very well.  I was in the kitchen with mom as she was baking.  Don’t know what she was baking, but she baked a lot and it smelled so very good.

Anyway she just felt the need to tell me.  She had good reason.  We had some aunts who could be very nasty about things like this.  She was concerned that someone else would tell me in a not so nice way and she didn’t want me to find out that way.

Mom told me the story. . .it was just one of those “it just happened” things.  You enlisted in the Army and when you came home on leave, there was mom, very pregnant.  She told you that the baby was yours.  She said you never came back.  You know, I really don’t hold that against you.  If my memory is correct, you were in your 20’s and in the Army.  I’m just sad that it hurt mom.

I thought of you often over the years and wondered what you look like, how you sound and would you like me.  I wanted to know you, but I also didn’t want to barge in on your family if you had one.  How would that be for a family of yours to find me on the doorstep saying, “Hi Dad!”  I just don’t think that would be a good scene.  Sometimes we just have to leave things where they are.

It is quite possible that you are still alive.  I would guess you would be in your eighties about now.

I want to thank you for several things.  First of all I want to thank you for my life.  It hasn’t been  the most wonderful of lives, but we all have our sadness and tragedies, but we also have our joy and happiness.

I want you to know that I love you wherever you are.  I hope you’ve had a happy life, full of joy and tragedy because I believe we learn more from our tragedies because they help us to truly enjoy the good parts of our life.

I hope you know God, and I’m guessing that I inherited my love for God from you.

I also want you to know that when I pass from this life I expect you to be waiting for me so I can know who you were and are because every girl deserves to hug her father!

God Bless you dad. . .

Your daughter, Sandy