The Sweet-Spot…Lipton Tea Bags…A Spider Web…And Happiness…

No doubt, we have been busy…I always heard that retirement was suppose to be lots of long hours wondering what to do with ones self…we have not found that to be so…(I think it was a lie anyway, never did believe it)…anyway, it has not been that way for us…and we are happy to say so…

Our weeks lately have been wrapped up with getting Jeremy back on his feet, so to speak…he has had a few small strokes and with those strokes has come two hospitalizations and changes…new meds…physical and occupational therapy appointments…speech therapy…doctors appointments…changed his bed, making it lower…just lots of related stuff…we also changed some of his bathroom so it would be easier for him to use…the chance of falling would not be good, and he has fallen a few times already…so those changes were necessary…a new higher toilet, which Jared, our number two son put in, along with a few grab bars…all have worked out well, though Jeremy has had to relearn a number of things, we are all working together to make it better…so we said goodbye to the old toilet, in our own way…

The garbage haulers, thought it was pretty nice…at least they smiled as we waved the old thing goodbye, and sent it off…(yes, they did think it was a bit weird but we enjoyed something a bit upbeat in a rather serious time)…so Jeremy is doing better…as most of you know, strokes, if taken seriously, people do respond fairly well to treatment…and Jeremy, though not back to his previous self, and probably will never be…is doing well…

Even in the best of days, we find our pleasures are simple…that doesn’t mean they are not meaningful or satisfying…they are that, but just different than what most people our age enjoy…and that is fine with me…I enjoyed one of the satisfying things just the other day…let me give you the picture and then the explanation…

Now I would not be surprised if you could not find something in this picture to enjoy (other than if you like a cup of tea, which I enjoy every morning)…but notice the box of 104 Lipton tea bags, it is empty…and notice the Tupperware container beside it, it is full…notice also the way the bags are place in said container…yup, you would be right, each of the three levels is going the opposite way, placed smartly…and notice that the container seems to hold all of the 104 Lipton tea bags…and if you said that, you would be right…all of the 104 Lipton tea bags fit perfectly in the Tupperware container…does that not bring you a certain joy to see that???…well, to me, it somehow makes me happy all that happened…in a world that is constantly in conflict and turmoil…somehow, all 104 Lipton tea bags fitting perfectly…somehow, it becomes a thrilling thing…Ah, yes, you say, “Jim needs to get out more.”…but you know, I look for things that bring joy, and satisfaction with it…and this is without a doubt a wonderful thing…who would have guessed…

But of course it doesn’t end there…I’m going to tell you a secret and you are not to tell anyone else about it…just between me and you, or is it, you and me, Oh well…we, (Judie, Jeremy and I) have a Sweet Spot…let me show you a picture from the Sweet Spot and see what you see…you will have to look hard to see it…no, no, not the Sweet Spot, but what is in the picture…there on that wonderful summer morning, the sun was shining, the wind lightly blowing in the trees, just a beautiful day in Little Rock…and there we were with a cup of coffee and seeing the beauty of God’s creation…

There, right there in the middle of the picture (yes, forgive the sign, but look to the right) and there is a silver thread, see it…yup, a spider web…this time of year, just think back to “Charlotte’s Web”…spiders send off their offspring on windy days…they send them off for long distances in the wind…think how light they are, we had a brisk wind that day so hundreds of tiny spiders started their new life…right there across from our Sweet Spot…what a pleasure to watch it wave in the breeze that morning…a strong enough web to take the movement of the trees it was attached to, the wind and still be there for us to see, some 30 feet long or so…to the left of us was Chenal Parkway, behind us was two of our friends restaurant, Mac & Don’s…as we parked in a bank parking lot, over looking all this magnificent beauty and wonder…eating a McMuffin, Jeremy’s Biscuit & Gravy, and coffee…we sat in awe of all that is around us…this is our Sweet Spot…everyday that we can go, it brings pleasure to the senses…and the realization, in Whose Hands we are…

Psalm 117

¹ O praise the Lord, all you nations! Praise Him, all you people!

² For His mercy and loving-kindness are great toward us, and the truth and faithfulness of the Lord endure forever. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)