by jphilo | Sep 11, 2015 | Family
A favorite post about one of the best days ever for this Fantastic Friday. Hope you enjoy the memory as much as I enjoyed that lovely day!
Yesterday morning, I was tapping away at my computer when the doorbell rang. Surprised, I headed for the kitchen and spied the Hy-Vee floral delivery truck. “That’s weird,” I thought. “Who would send flowers to me?”
The friendly Hy-Vee delivery man waited at the door. “Does Jolene Philo live here?” he asked.
“That’s me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Special day for you, is it?”
I thought a minute – no birthday, no anniversary, no windfall on Wall Street – before it hit me. “Well, my first book is being released today.”
“Congratulations!” He held up a finger. “I’ll be back in a minute.” And he was, carrying a huge balloon bouquet up our rather long sidewalk.
I went partway to meet him. “Thank you so much.”
Then, as I grabbed the bouquet and turned toward the house, he held up a finger. “We’re not done yet,” he said.
Surprised, I hurried into the house, set down the bouquet and ran outside in time to meet him halfway down the sidewalk and grab the second bouquet. “Thank you so much.”
He held up a finger. “We’re not done yet,” he said and headed for the truck.
By the time we were done yet, the two of us had met our exercise quota for the day, and he’d delivered five very large balloon bouquets from Mom, my sister’s family, my brother’s family, and my Le Mars relatives. The kitchen was full to bursting, and having seen the Pixar movie Up not to long ago, I was a little bit worried. (How come my son didn’t have “house uprooted by helium balloons” on his worry list Sunday night?)
But I was more flabbergasted than worried. See, I don’t come from a gifty family. Now, we’re darn good at birthday cakes, because birthday cakes are dessert and our family is exceptionally gifted at consuming desserts. And over the years, we’ve gotten better at saying “I love you,” sending birthday cards, and the occasional hug. On the other hand, no one will ever engrave “Our beloved celebrated special events with hoopla and flair” on our tombstones.
So I stood in the kitchen for a long time staring at the balloons and wondering what on earth possessed them to spend money so frivolously and where on earth I will put the bouquets this weekend when the rellies – Mom, sister, nephew, brother’s family, uncle and aunt, cousins and their families and my kids – arrive for our Labor Day Reunion weekend.
And then, gone giddy with the scent of latex, Mylar, and slowly leaking helium, I lost my head and did a little happy dance. What else can a girl do when her family says, “We love you?”
by jphilo | Aug 14, 2015 | Daily Life
This Fantastic Friday post looks back at the day my first book, A Different Dream for My Child, landed on our doorstep. Seeing the boxes resulted in a happy Monday jig on a beautiful August morning in 2009. Reading about that day makes me feel like dancing all over again, and I hope it makes you smile, too.
The weather was glorious this morning, and so was my mood. During my walk along the gravel road, I ticked off the blessed unclutteredness of this new week:
- Daughter and a truckload of her belongings and some of Grandma’s old furniture safely deposited at college.
- Daughter’s boyfriend and some of Grandma’s old furniture safely deposited at his apartment.
- Son and some of Grandma’s old furniture safely deposited in his apartment.
- Some of Grandma’s old furniture safely deposited at cousin’s house.
- The rest of Grandma’s old furniture put to good use in our house.
- The walls of the guest room are now visible with extra furniture gone.
- The garage stall, full of this and that since Mom’s house sold in March, finally empty again.
- Anne’s bedroom, minus the truckload of stuff she took to college, is now available for house guests.
- Mystery novel compete, edited, and on its way to the publishing house considering it.
- Different Dream website ready to be launched.
- I have uninterrupted work time now that daughter is safely deposited at college, along with a pickup load of her belongings.
- Mother safely tucked away at brother’s house, her finances organized and under control, the last of her keepsakes being distributed to appreciative owners.
Finally, after months of boxes and extra furniture, after weeks of overwhelming projects, I was ready to move on. Feeling light as a feather, I did a little woo-hoo whoop and jigged up the driveway, arranging and rearranging my week’s vast, uncluttered expanses of time and space. When I came around the garage, my happy dance ended. Stacked in front of the kitchen door were three boxes. The books I’d ordered from the publisher had arrived, much sooner than expected. As my vast, uncluttered expanses of space and time evaporated, and I hauled the cartons into the kitchen, I checked off one last blessing:
- We got the shelving unit from Mom’s basement painted and moved into our bedroom on Saturday. Just in the nick of time, I have a place to stack the books.
My feet and heart are dancing again.
by jphilo | Feb 6, 2015 | Different Dream for My Child, Vlog Series
Another January Friday has arrived, so we’re serving up a new episode in the Different Dream vlog series for parents of kids with special needs over at Gravel Road’s sister website. Today’s devotional relates a favorite story from the weeks our son spent in NICU back in 1982. My husband and I still giggle whenever we tell it. As you may have guessed, it comes from the hospital section of A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children.
The devotional is called “The Shirt Off Her Back.” Though we never saw the woman and her son after we checked out of their boarding house, they feel like part of the family. Whenever they come to mind, I whisper a prayer of thanks to the God who used them to give us a glimpse of Christ when we needed it most.
To listen to “The Shirt Off Her Back” click on over to DifferentDream.com.
Photo Credit: cjansuebsri at www.freedigitalphotos.net
by jphilo | Oct 31, 2014 | Different Dream for My Child, Vlog Series
The Different Dream vlog series is bac for another Friday read aloud from A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Critically or Chronically Ill Children. Maybe this week has been a particularly long and trying one for you. If that’s the case (and even if it’s not), now is your time to enjoy a little pampering. So grab a cup of tea, kick off you shoes, put up your feet and have a listen to this week’s selection, A Gentle Touch.
The story describes our first glimpse of our newborn son in NICU after major surgery in 1982. In the decades since, many NICU protocols and practices have changed. But one thing hasn’t change a bit. Our hospitalized children need the comforting touch of their parent to heal faster, and parents need the touch of a loving God to stay strong while their children recuperate.
To listen to this episode in the Different Dream vlog series, click on over to DifferentDream.com.
by jphilo | Oct 24, 2014 | Different Dream for My Child, Vlog Series
Welcome to my little gravel road. You are cordially invited to join the weekly story time for parents of kids with special needs over at DifferentDream.com. Once again, you can just sit back and relax, close your eyes and listen while someone does the work. How often does that happem?
This devotional is part of my book for parents, A Different Dream for My Child: Meditations for Parents of Children Who Are Critically or Chronically Ill. “Be Kind and Gracious” comes from the section about being in the hospital with a child. Naomi has 5 kids, 2 of whom have been hospitalized repeatedly. She explains the importance of exhibiting grace and kindness to those caring for a hospitalized child.
To view this vlog, hop on over to the DifferentDream.com post, Be Kind and Gracious.
