January 26, 2017

Greetings My Friend, My hair is getting longer although there is a ways to go to reach my shoulders. I have been pulling my bangs to the back of my head with a clip and recently I decided to use a headband again. I really like the headband with my hair being longer and I may be using this to keep my bangs off of my face. I do not tolerate the hair on my face especially near my nose, it itches me so I want it pulled back all the time. Junior continues to make me feel like I am a beautiful woman, something I had not felt prior to marrying him in my 40's. I love that he likes my girly girl ways with me liking to wear bangles on my arms, earrings and necklaces. He knew that I would not be good with tools and did not push me too hard when he attempted to show me how to use them. Instead of working alongside of him, I attempt to make our home comfortable for him, making him lunch and dinner most days. I am grateful to be living this simple life that God has put me in. I received a text from a friend with cancer while I was writing so I took a time out to write her back. My friend is struggling with cancer. At first she was fighting against all of the help she was getting, sure that she was not receiving proper care. She procrastinated getting started on her chemo because she did not want to face the severity of her cancer. She has come around to seeing that she needs to go with the program. I believe her faith with Jesus has grown and she is drawing closer to Him which helps her so much. My friend is like many people, she did not want to feel the discomfort or to deal with this dreaded cancer. She has managed to avoid a lot of pain in life by blaming others and she has had to look at herself in the mirror and face the situation. I hurt for her so her more positive comments make me very happy. I also believe that all the prayers that have been lifted up for her by many in my church, by Junior and I and even others whom I do know she has opened her heart to Jesus. I see her learning to draw, to journal, sharing with her friends and talking on the phone. My friend has kept people at bay for most of her life and now she is reaching out. I found myself teaching my friend about being a woman. When she visited us I started telling her that it was her job to notice the changes we have made since her last visit. My friend has lived in her own little world for so long that she knew very little about interacting with others. More recently I have been teaching her to ask about others, not only to be so wrapped up in her own struggles. By doing this she learns that she is not all alone in the world and others understand her pain. I finally told her that with Parkinson's I have moments where my muscles get so tight that they hurt.She was surprised that I deal with pain. She thought my disease was not as bad as hers. It is different but it does not mean there is not physical and emotional pain. The other day she ended a text with "how are you doing?" She is learning and I am grateful. If God had not encouraged me to be a girly girl and to love the simple life I would never have met this woman. She lives a life completely different from the one I have lived. When Junior invited her son to help him and taught him how to work, she became my friend and I love her so much. She has allowed me to love her as Jesus has loved me. Just as when I attend a church the body that is the church includes people from all walks of life and we help others in the body of the church to be all that God is creating them to be. May God bless you and keep you make His face shine on you. Love Janet