Monday, May 28, 2012

With joy and thankfulness


I had made plans to visit my husband's resting place yesterday after church.  I gathered some flowers from our yard and brought some blue delphinium from work to add to my small clutch.  I was thankful again for peonies blooming, iris in blues and purple and pink and purple columbine right outside my door.  Later I picked up a single red rose to be included with the others.

My head and my heart were filled with sweet memories of Al - remembering him in his uniforms - often searching for his camouflage hat at the last minute - how professional he looked in his Class A's and how wonderfully handsome in his dress blues.  I was and am so proud of his service to our country and his continued willingness to be called to active duty to serve the wounded.

As I started out of the driveway that morning, the song playing on the radio was "I'll Fly Away."  This song is special to me for many reasons - one, Alvis' dad went to music school with the author so many years ago, and also because we chose to have this song at the conclusion of Al's service with everyone singing.  Until this year, I wept when I heard the music - but this morning I smiled!  I pictured Al with his parents and brothers singing it in four part harmony (his dad used to sing in a  four part harmony group)  Instead of tears of loneliness I felt joy and comfort believing and trusting they were singing praises to our God - maybe at that very moment. 

Small moments of joy - to be treasured.