We did not plan it this way, but in the midst of Henry’s healing from heart surgery, we had new windows installed in our house this past week. The sales rep had told us the windows could be installed before Henry’s surgery, but they weren’t ready in time. So, we explained why a delay on their part would clearly mean a delay on ours…and it all worked out well enough in the end.
However, I don’t recommend having to move all the furniture away from your windows (with some neighborly assistance!), remove drapes and curtain rods, take down photos and artwork from around those windows, then endure the noise and chaos associated with the work, then clean up and reset everything afterward—all while trying to care for a recovering spouse and provide a healing atmosphere!
Honestly, the installer did an excellent job and was very attentive and respectful of our space. It was just a lot of additional work and distraction for me. I mentioned last week that Henry and I were exhausted, and the same is still true. The good news is that I don’t think this process harmed either of us, and I am thrilled to have more efficient and non-leaky windows in place as summer reaches its peak here (temperatures are now exceeding 100°F each day) and monsoon season is, God willing, just a few weeks away.
I’m also grateful to be seeing more clearly through the windows in our home. The photo above is of the west-facing opening through which I glance out at my garden most mornings. It now has a single picture window and no tattered screens obscuring the view. I’m also thrilled to have a better view out the east-facing window in my office. Perhaps now I will occasionally be able to photograph the hummingbirds and woodpeckers that show up at the feeder.
What are you seeing more clearly these days? For what are you grateful in this first week of June?
At age 75, I am grateful for my recent diagnosis of ADHD along with a new prescription to treat this previously unknown and untreated condition. I am beginning to see a few new things outside my window previously marked by constant and random activity. I am beginning to see personal boundaries in a new light and love myself better. John D.
Oh, John, thank you for sharing this powerful story of new seeing—and the clear message that it’s never too late to change and move toward increased health and clarity. Blessings on your embracing this new light and love!
Peace,
Shirin
Shirin
I’m replacing my house windows this fall after the gardens are done! Mine are 45 years old and were covered in frost on the INSIDE last winter during a blizzard. I’m not looking forward to all the work involved but it has to be done! But I too am looking forward to a warmer home this winter.
I’m see new changes in my adult kids. I visited my son in Portland over Memorial Day weekend and we are very close. He’s included me in his new job potential and confided to me about several personal issues. I’m ever so grateful for this man’s love and trust in me. Yet, I’m also see my daughter drifting away more because of the unhealthy lifestyle she and her husband are living. Unfortunately, they have chosen a more materialistic lifestyle that involves having ‘to keep up’ hence their jobs are their focus not family or health. I have to allow God to do His will in both my kids so my place is to pray. And I do! But it can be heartbreaking at times.
Gratitude is an essential element in my walk with Jesus! I’m constantly amazed that I have what I have and that I have a full life with many wonderful loving people here in Washington State. God is good! How can I not be grateful?
Abundant blessings and prayers for you and Henry,
Nila
Ah, Nila, I hear you about the windows…and yours are twice as old as mine! May the process go smoothly and you be pleased with the results.
My prayers are with you as you accompany your children while also letting them forge their own paths. It definitely can be heartbreaking…and showing up as consistently and lovingly as we can is sometimes all we can do…alongside our prayers….
Thank you for your prayers for Henry and me. I’m praying for you!
Peace,
Shirin
First of all, wow! That window is so clean you can’t even tell it’s there!
I’m seeing more clearly how I have been judgmental of others who aren’t on the same page as I am politically, etc. I’m ashamed to admit that I have been too quick to want to explain to others how they are wrong instead of listening to why they feel the way they do. This realization is the first step in becoming more calm and loving toward those who see things differently than I do. It’s a journey that can take practice on my part to relax and let others be who they are.
In this first week in June, I’m grateful for the gift of life, and grateful that I’m living here in Tucson.
Actually, Aston, I took the photo before the new window was put in…there’s no window there!
I hear you about being judgmental, and I pray you can have compassion for yourself as you seek to change. Judgmentalism is baked into our culture, so it’s a very rebellious act to be more calm and loving toward those who see differently. May you come to see new ways to connect in this polarizing time.
Peace,
Shirin