Never Ever Dull
With every conversation, I always seem to end with "Never a dull moment"....our lives are rich, complex, and beautiful stories. Join me in laughing about everyday things and appreciating life-bumpy roads and all.
I love how my life intersects with people that leave lasting impressions on me, changing me forever. Here's one of those times: A couple of moves back, my family lived in Concord, NC. Just days after moving into our brick ranch, the doorbell rang. I opened the door and was face to face with a man I'd never seen before. Leaning on crutches that had UNC socks at the top, he introduced himself as my next door neighbor, Randy. He said he wanted to see what I'd done with the place and proceeded to come on in our home. He worked his way to our sofa, each step taking so much effort due to being limited physically. He plopped down and stayed four to five hours as my girls entertained him with all their crazy antics. Yep, true story. That's how Randy and I started our friendship and it was the beginning of me really changing how I viewed many things. Not only did Randy and I have a new friendship, but we got to know his parents who lived right beside us. They are extraordinary people. Rudy was the dad and had been diagnosed with spina bifada early in life. Now, he had no use of his legs but that didn't stop him. He had a car with special devices. He'd drive everywhere and lead Bible studies, disciple men of all ages, and tote Randy back and forth to all his volunteer jobs. When not on the go, I'd find Rudy reading in his car. I'd chat with him for hours about what he was reading from Grapes of Wrath to the Bible. My girls would climb in beside him or roll down the hills as I spent longer and longer getting to know this remarkable man. Then, there's Argie. The mom of Randy and wife to Rudy. We'd always find her with her plastic cup of Sun-Drop, sipping the drink through her straw. She taught my girls to love UNC basketball. She served her son and her husband without any complaints. Never a sigh or showing of frustration as she handled getting them up and down for meals, bringing their food on trays so that both could eat without spilling, helping them in the bathroom, etc. She'd always share stories of her group, the Gamesters, who gathered together on Tuesdays to play bridge and other games. This same group was her tennis group. You'd see them on weekday mornings with their brooms as they swept the courts before playing. Hearing their laughter before seeing them. Always finding the bright side in life no matter the circumstances. Truly a woman I strive to live up to. Along the way, I learned that Argie and Rudy understood what life with spina bifada would look like and they had prayerfully chosen to adopt. They wanted twins. However, as life sometimes works, the only child up for adoption back in those days was a baby boy with major special needs. They reconsidered and opened up their hearts and home to Randy. Pretty soon after that, God blessed them again with a set of twins that needed to be adopted. God is good. In the four years of living and doing life with them, they planted seeds for our adoption, showing me that God overcomes difficult circumstances. They showed me that life is good despite difficulties. They made it clear that you always schedule events around UNC basketball. (Randy & I still talk on the phone while we watch UNC play even today...especially when our Heels play Duke!). Look at the bad things that come along and say, "That's a shame", pause, and then move forward not looking back. I call them my "favorite neighbors" because they really shaped me in how I approach life. Wonderful people. Blessed to know them.
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AuthorFun-loving mom to 4 kids and 1 big puppy. Fifth grade teacher of amazing little people who have never ending things to share with me. Love to discuss Jesus, diy projects, and life. Trying to keep it simple: Love Jesus, love people. Archives
December 2021
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