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It’s hard to put your thoughts into words when a dream is fulfilled. It’s probably why my father was overcome with emotion at his birthday party yesterday. When my brother wheeled him into the room and he saw all the people standing inside, smiling and welcoming him, he was overcome with tears and could hardly stop. “Happy birthday, Dad!” Happy birthday, Opa! Happy birthday, Bert!”

We could not have planned it better. While driving up from Indiana, the owner of the rented venue told me we could get into the building early to set up. The relatives were early and he was late. It was perfect timing, but only God’s timing. I really did not plan any of that timing.

Relatives from the Netherlands joined via ZOOM to wish him birthday greetings. ZOOM, the answer to distant relatives, provided this technological gift.

He even included a short speech of thanks.

We sang happy birthday three times because it seemed like a better alternative than watching him crying. However, deep down, I know I could have cried with him as well. When you go through a pandemic where you cannot see family, you view it as a precious gift when it is reality.

His dream of a picnic was fulfilled, even though it was a different type of picnic. Thank you, God. Thank you for your goodness to him.

It’s hard to believe that May is finally here and we will be celebrating my father’s 89th birthday next Saturday. This picture was taken a year ago when we were visiting through the window.

My goal, always to end the school year strong and with the ability to visit him may come true. Could it be?

As I look at this picture, I think back to his time in Royal Park and now at Waterford. What does God have planned for him as he becomes 89?

Seeing this picture of my nephew playing checkers with my father brings back so many memories. It definitely helped my father to play checkers after my mom passed away.

I am grateful for the game of checkers. It helped my father get his mind off my mother. He even won at some games.

At this time of the year, inboxes and mailboxes start flooding with all types of invitations. Many times, due to the busyness of the month, they get placed to the side. However, this year, invitations seem to take on a different meaning.

Creating a birthday invitation for my father using Evite seemed so monumental! A birthday party! Wow! It’s even difficult to imagine and I probably won’t even believe it is happening until it takes place.

Is that how life is now? Every occasion seems to take a different meaning?

I will probably be more excited than my father when this takes place because it will signify the possibility of life returning to normal. All praise to Him.

Waking up in the morning to see the plants opening up is like Christmas Day. What beauty!

Hearing news from the Waterford nurses informing that my dad is participating in activities, joking around with the nurses, and reading his texts about horses is similar. Maybe he also is waking up from a year where he was cooped up in his room. The year has been hard for so many people. However, spring has sprung!

My next project with him is a birthday celebration. He will be celebrating his 89th birthday on May 8. I hope we can make it a festive occasion with possibly some extra guests he has not seen for a while.

During worship today, we sang one of my favorite songs, “God is So Good”.

Amazing love
That welcomes me
The kindness of mercy
That bought with blood, wholeheartedly
My soul undeserving God, You’re so good
Oh God, You’re so good
God, You’re so good
You’re so good to me

Praise God for His goodness to us. Spring is beautiful, good news is wonderful, but His sacrifice for us is beyond all of it.

“It’s like one room. It’s an hour of work, ” my brother texted when I informed him that I would be at Waterford all day.

Ha. I knew better as I anticipated the mounds of paperwork. I wasn’t disappointed.

Entering my father’s room was like stepping back in time. Papers, cards, pictures never hung from when we moved him to Waterford last summer…. it was overwhelming but right up my alley.

“Wow, Michelle. You have a huge job to do,” Amanda, the resident assistant commented. “There is so much paper in here, but we just didn’t know what to do with it.”

I totally understood. Who wants to go through paperwork when you are just struggling to keep the people alive during COVID?

Going through my dad’s papers was like time traveling. Notes from last year, Christmas cards, letters….. it didn’t seem to end. Everything went in the trash. My dad started getting a little suspicious. “Hey, what are you throwing away there?” he asked. “It’s junk, Dad.” I reassured him. He didn’t seem too convinced.

After the paperwork came the clothing purges. I opened up the closet which was full to the brim of his clothing. The rack broke under the weight of the excessive clothing. However, Brian, the maintenance tech was quick to fix it as well as helping with the picture hanging. Progress!

I was most excited about the horse picture located at the home store! However, Dad was not impressed. “That doesn’t look like Tony, ” he commented. Tony is the name of the horse he always mentions. Undaunted, I encouraged him to use it as a writing topic. “This will remind you of horse stories, Dad!”

I still have more work to do on the room, but it will need to take place later.

The day drew to a close rather quickly and we headed out to my brother’s house for dinner. It was great to be able to take him out and drive by my favorite destination, Lake Michigan.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with my father, brother, Hope, Gavin, and Sharon, Hope’s mom-in-law. Both Sharon and my father have now been vaccinated!

The evening ended with my father receiving more I-Pad lessons from my brother. It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday. My dad mentioned the picnic idea again. Summer is coming!

Looking at this plant brings all kinds of thoughts to mind. Who watered it during this time? My father never remembered to take care of it last year. Did someone put fertilizer on it? It needs a separate pot as it looks like two different plants. I cannot believe that it grew so well.

My father apparently commented that it was bad for a while but came back. My brother joked that it paralleled my father.

My father is still alive despite the challenges of the pandemic. Praise God!

A crocus and peony buds peeking out from the landscape, the creek gurgling, and the sunshine warming our faces….. Could it really be that we are heading into better times?

Waterford announced that all restrictions have been lifted. No COVID tests are required and patients are allowed unlimited visits.

It almost seems too good to be true. After a year of the pandemic, the promise of freedom is a welcome relief. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Great news! Visitors, with a negative COVID-19 test, can visit Waterford patients again. We are grateful!

However, seeing these pictures, reminds me of how we never had the chance to actually create a room without clutter and with visual peace. Papers galore, not enough shelving for pictures– it’s time to get the drawing board out. I cannot wait!

More importantly, though, is getting together with my father. The time is coming. Thanks be to God!

Looking at these faces just makes me smile. It was a memorable Saturday afternoon visit complete with sunshine, piles of snow, laughter, and my father– out of Waterford, vaccinated, and with us.

When we first picked him up at Waterford, one of my first comments was, “Dad! Your hair!” Despite our meager attempts at hair gel borrowed from Gavin and combing with a wet brush, he still kept his Einstein look. My brother scheduled a hair appointment for Monday. But… it really didn’t matter because we were together.

During the afternoon visit, he slept off and on, but did perk up when talking to Mitch about agriculture, a topic he always enjoyed. He also asked questions on how church looks during a pandemic.

His hearing, always a challenge, meant that our conversations needed to be focused and deliberate or he would repeatedly say, ” My hearing is so bad.” The implant is not really working.

However, despite these minor challenges, we were together and that is what mattered. It was a beautiful day.