Me, Write a Journal?

A journal?  That was my reaction when David suggested that I keep a daily log about Hu at the beginning of his hospitalization.  Keeping up with a daily journal is not something that I enjoy on a regular basis but, appreciating his wisdom, I made regular personal updates.  Although Hu now knows much of what happened, he can better understand it from a day to day basis by reading the journal.  We even started taking pictures to document each phase.

It hadn't occurred to me to tell Hu about the journal until this week.  I began to read over it myself and it gave me a new appreciation of how far he has come in this journey.  Recently, the therapist warned me not to attempt assisting Hu going up the steps.  But when she left on Tuesday she said he would be perfectly fine with my monitoring him.  In addition to his daily trip up the stairs, rest and descent, his record is 10 consecutive laps around the first floor with the walker.

A dear friend promised Hu their family's favorite pie when he passed his swallow test.  On Sunday, our doorbell rang and her husband delivered the pie. Turns out, it was one of Hu's favorites, too.  While sitting at the lunch table during lunch with a family member and me this week, Hu said, "I think I would like to try some of that."  A whirl in the food processor and he was sharing the meal with us.  Looking back in the journal, I remembered that during some of the most difficult days it seemed that there was little possibility of Hu's enjoying fellowship over a meal around our table within three months.

I'm also so grateful that all our children (unexpectedly) were here with us during those days.  Actually, it was the first time in over 26 years that we were all in the same country -- let alone the same city -- for Thanksgiving.  How blessed we are as a family that we experienced this together and now can pass the story of God's goodness to our family down to our sons' children and to generations to come.

In the future, when your children ask you, "What do these stones mean?" tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.  These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.
Joshua 4:6,7