A Quiet Note From Me

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Dear friend,

I missed the last two Saturday letters. I’ve wanted to sit down and write to you, but life has been especially full, and I needed a little space to be present with my family.

My mother’s health has changed, and I’m grieving parts of the woman I’ve always known, even while she is still here. I’ve cried more than once over the changes I can see and the ones I’m still trying to understand. Recently, I made the painful decision to place her in a hospice facility. I know she needs care and support, but knowing that hasn’t made the decision easy.

Even in this difficult time, God has been gracious and merciful. He helped me find a place less than ten minutes from my home. I can still be there for my mother while professionals provide the care she needs. Having their help will allow me to care for her better than I can on my own at home. I’m holding on to that truth when the decision feels especially hard.

I’ve found myself returning to the words I wrote in After the Ashes. When I wrote about walking through loss and trusting God with what comes next, I was writing from what I had lived. Now those words are meeting me in a new season. I’m reminded that healing does not require me to rush past grief. I can love my mother, ache over what is changing, and still trust God to help us through today.

If you are carrying something hard right now, I hope you will give yourself room to feel what you feel. You don’t have to have every answer before you take the next step. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is ask for help, make the best decision we can with love, and then let ourselves cry.

Thank you for being here and for giving me the grace to miss a couple of Saturdays. I’m grateful we can walk through the beautiful and the difficult parts of life together.

With love,

Kimberly