His Mercies Are New Every Morning

I slept fitfully and woke up at 3:30 a.m. I had lain awake for nearly two hours. The light was beginning to filter through the blinds, so I decided to get up for the sunrise.

I put on my sweatshirt and sandals, popped in my AirPods, and turned on a playlist called “Tranquility.” I walked out to the shore and one of the first things I noticed with a Mama duck with her five ducklings. I was reminded of my own mama and the task my four siblings and I were now called to; to stay by her side on this journey ahead, just like these ducklings and their mama.

I continued walking out toward the dock and was treated to the most beautiful sunrise, rivaling the sunset two days earlier. Again, I felt God’s presence as He assured me that even after the darkest night, the sun will rise. His mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-23).

The song playing on my playlist was “Aquarelles” which I later learned means “Watercolors.” I couldn’t have picked a better background soundtrack for this amazing view if I had tried.

I was able to get a little more sleep after that, and woke up just in time to join our Women’s Bible Study back home via Zoom. Although I felt dazed and empty, it was comforting to see their smiles, hear their voices, and share with them my sorrow. They promised their prayers and I signed off.

There was no fishing today, even though the weather was perfect for it. Beth and I were on our phones all day with Phyllis, Barb, Jon, and Diane. We talked to Mom on the Portal. She had been told of Dad’s death during the night when she had gotten up looking for him. During our conversation, she asked several times where he was, and we told her he was in heaven; that he had died. With her memory issues, we knew it would take her some time to remember and process what had happened. We just hoped and prayed she eventually would.

At some point in our conversations, we found out that Dad’s last meal (after the fall, but before the ambulance arrived) was a BLT. This wasn’t surprising, as Mom and Dad had been eating BLTs for lunch almost every day for the past couple of years. Since we had everything we needed for them in the cabin, we had a special BLT lunch in memory of Dad.

We began discussing dates and talking about general plans for the funeral service. While Beth and I focused on family matters, Tom took a ride on the Migizi, and then later took the four girls up to the park so they could ride the trail. He picked up Leah and Chloe at the campground (after an 8-mile ride), while Nicole and Elise rode the rest of the trail back to the resort.

The siblings decided on a date for the funeral, (Monday, July 13th) assuming the COVID test and subsequent autopsy (which was required because Dad had had a fall) were completed on time.

Later that evening, I sat down to write the hardest Facebook post I’d ever written.