I never thought......

I never thought about lots of things even though I am quite a thinker.
I never thought about how life would change when I was child. I just thought it would always be the way it was. Change is not my favorite thing.
I never thought I would get too old to play with dolls, so when I did I just invented creative ways to help my sister play with her Barbie in style.
I never thought the time would finally come when I would grow up but I did.
I never thought I would drive a car but Dad said I needed to learn.
I never thought I would go to college but my parents said try it at least year.
I never thought I would leave home but I did. Going home was always sweet.
I never thought being homesick was really just like it sounds. Sick for home.
I never thought I would prefer mountains and valleys to the sandy beaches.
I never thought I would marry someone so different with a missionary kid multi-cultural background but we would still be alike in many ways.
I never thought I would marry into a big family after growing up in a small family. Though big family life is challenging, it has enriched my life.
I never thought the sister bond would be so strong that we often say things the same time, or even buy the same card. That same bond helps us to work as a team when we've had to tackle the hard times in life.
I never thought growing old together as a married couple would go so fast. From newlyweds, to newly parents, to empty nesters....in a blink of an eye.
I never thought how special being called Mom was until I became one. Or how the fragile job that goes with the name needs to be handled with care.
I never thought how quickly my piggy tailed girls would blossom into beautiful young women. My babies became brides.
I never thought I would learn to use a computer and now it is part of my daily life.
I never thought I would travel much because I love being home but I do. Memorable trips by land, by sea, by air to over a dozen countries and countless cities.
I never thought I would feel like I was in a page out of a geography book until I viewed Rio from the foot of the statue of Christ The Redeemer.
I never thought I would be at the top of the Eiffel Tower on New Years Eve, watching the silent falling snowflakes cover Paris in a soft white blanket.
I never thought I would see the snow capped mountains of Switzerland, the country of my girlhood dreams I most wanted to see and did.
I never thought I would like green peppers and now I love them.
I never thought I would give up ketchup or rock n' roll and I haven't.
I never thought I would be hit by a drunk driver in a head-on collision but I was.
I never thought I would drive off a dealership lot in a brand new shiny car, paid in full and all mine.
I never thought I would find my best friend from high school after losing touch for many years but I did. The connection to the past is special.
I never thought I would have life long friendships but I have lived long enough to have friends who have stuck with me and I with them, through thick and thin.
I never thought anything is more important then people, whether it is family or friends and I still don't.
I never thought I would hear a doctor tell me I had cancer but he did. Twice.
I never thought I would be bald but I was.
I never thought I would be seen in public bald but I was braver then I thought.
I never thought I would be in attendance for the births of five out of six of my grandchildren, a blessed event beyond description and privilege that I cherish.
I never thought I would exchange terrified looks with my pregnant daughter before an emergency c-section and remain outwardly calm. I managed it for her and because I trust the Lord.
I never thought I would be afraid to hold my premature granddaughter but I was. And so proud of my daughter in her courageous nurturing of this precious little life.
I never thought being a grandma would be so rewarding and so much fun. It is the ice cream of life and I sure love ice cream.
I never thought I would have so many cats in my lifetime, each one with its passing as painful as the last one. Many tears have been shed but the joys of having a furry friend outweigh the eventual loss someday.
I never thought about how children and grandchildren strengthen the marriage bond even stronger. No one shares the same interest in the 'stories' about the kids as much as your parenting partner.
I never thought of the day I would become the parent to my parents. Role reversal requires respectful diligence with balance and at its best, it is still difficult.
I never thought I would be able to calmly keep vigil at my mother's death bed and watch her take her last breaths. Mom did not want to die alone like her sister and she didn't. I was there, talking to her in case she could hear me, until the end.
I never thought I could keep my composure while gently closing my father's eyes after he took his final breath. It was the last loving thing I did for his person.
I never thought I would speak at the funeral services of each of my parents because I fear public speaking but it was a final act of honoring them.
I never thought I would be able to handle the breaking up of a lifetime of my parents earthly possessions but I did it, one box, one closet, one drawer, one cupboard, one file, one book, one photo, one pretty thing,..... one day at a time.
I never thought my parents would be buried in my town instead of Florida but they are. Even though I know they are absent from the body and present with the Lord, having their graves nearby comforts me.
I never thought I would feel like an orphan at 60 years old.
I never thought one of my daughters would have a failed marriage. And I never thought I would feel so helpless in the pain broken relationships bring.
I never thought I would feel so sad most of the time.
I never thought I would feel so glad to 'sing your praises, sing them one by one'.
I never thought about how important trusting the Lord in the little things really is until I had to trust Him in the big things. It was good practice for the real thing.
I never thought about growing old but I am. I thought being middle age was an adjustment but becoming a senior citizen is even more daunting.
I never thought about the aches and pains of aging until they started.
I never thought I would have to pace myself because my endurance is limited.
I never thought I would think about heaven as much as I do now. Heaven has become sweeter and more personal since I have many loved ones already there.
I never thought I would write these thoughts down instead of getting a good nights sleep but I have. It seemed important to say.