Remembering how Dianne loved the beauty of large rocks... and how "The Rock" blessed me with "a rock"!

"A rock" given to me by "The Rock"

Today, I write about "a rock" and "The Rock".

First, I must explain that Dianne had a fascination for rocks... not the diamonds kind... but large rocks.  When we built our home, we were able to import several large boulders to accent our lawn.

When we drove over to the Cracker Barrel in Hamburg, we always passed a landscaping business that displayed a huge rock on the corner of the property.  Dianne would always say something like:  "Can we get that rock?"  Of course, the rock was really too big for us to think about relocating to our lawn, but Dianne always enjoyed seeing it there as we passed by.

I can remember on one of our road trips south on Interstate 81, when we stopped at a motel for our night's rest... the next morning, Dianne spent almost an hour taking photos of the large rocks behind the motel.

OK... hopefully, I have established that Dianne really loved the beauty of "big rocks".

Just two weeks ago, I took my first road trip south on 81 without Dianne by my side.  I stopped at the Quality Inn in Staunton, VA, where I had made a reservation a couple of days before.

I was really surprised at how clean and modern the hotel was.  The room was beautiful.  Of course, I couldn't help but think how much Dianne would have appreciated the very clean and modern room, complete with nice paintings hanging on the wall.  Yes, it was terribly lonely in that beautiful motel room all by myself.  I was definitely hurting through the night.

When I woke up in the morning, I decided to open the curtains in my room to check out the view.  

The view consisted of one huge rock right outside my window!  One of the most beautiful rocks I have ever seen in my life!  I wish the photo above was clearer.  I made it through the window in my room.

After I had checked out and was headed down 81, tears of joy ran down my cheeks as I thought about how unusual it was for that rock to be right outside my motel room.

Consider:

• I don't normally stay at Quality Inns;

• When I made my reservation, I had enough points to stay free of charge at one Choice motel in Staunton (the Quality Inn);

• Earlier this year, the Quality Inn at Staunton was a Microtel.  It was bought and converted into a Quality Inn this spring.  I certainly would have never stayed at a Microtel;

• There was one room in the entire motel that had a rock outside its window:  the room that I stayed in.

When I returned home and went to church this past Sunday, can you guess the song that led off our worship service?  If you guessed "Rock of Ages", you are indeed correct.

My praise goes up to "The Rock" who gave me "a rock" when I was walking through the "valley of the shadow of death"!

"A rock" that "The Rock" planted outside my motel room in Staunton, Virginia

Confessing how I didn't understand what widows and widowers were going through... before my Dianne went to heaven

(I published this "status" on Facebook recently, but I know there are a few people who read this blog who are not on Facebook... so here it is on the blog....   

  I must confess that, before Dianne went to heaven, I was somewhat insensitive to the grief experienced by widows and widowers. I used to think: "Well, it's been 3 months since their husband or wife passed away... they should be getting over it... and getting on with life." Or, "it's been a year... and surely they should be 'over it' by now."

     Now that I am a part of this group that I never wanted to join, I realize that losing the love of your life creates a hole in your life... and the grief is with you for the rest of your life. You might plow through the grief, find ways to tame it, find ways to share it... but the grief is going to be there for the rest of your life.

     It's not a very happy kind of statistic, but unfortunately, almost one-half of married couples are going to be experiencing the grief of losing their spouse. Of course, a few couples go home together... but it's rare. Dianne and I had always prayed that we would live long lives, just go to bed one night, and pass away together during the night... going on to be with our Lord. Of course, God didn't answer that prayer the way that we thought best.

     Why do I write this? 

     For those of you who have your spouses... cherish each day and frequently express your love for each other.

     And... to everyone who has never experienced losing a spouse... just understand and encourage those who have.

Remembering the fragrance of Dianne and her Dolce Vita... and hoping to find a good home for her perfume

Dianne and Dolce Vita got along very well together

    Trying to find a new "home" for your loved one's favorite things is both agonizing and therapeutic.  I think a lot of widows and widowers avoid the agony by just keeping all or most of the personal items.
     Dianne really liked Dolce Vita perfume (and bath products) by Christian Dior.  Dolce Vita and Dianne's chemistry were good for each other.  She would often have perfect strangers stop her in a store and ask her what perfume she was wearing.
     Several years ago, it appeared that Christian Dior was gradually discontinuing the Dolce Vita line of products.  I think they still make the perfume, but have discontinued the other related products.
     Dianne was concerned that the entire Dolce Vita line was going to be discontinued... and so... when either one of us saw a bottle of the perfume for sale, we would often buy it "for the future"... just in case.
     I have hesitated writing about the perfume, but I now have 8 bottles of perfume, several bottles of the Dolce Vita lotion, and other Dolce Vita items.
     I could take the items to our local thrift store.  They have said they will take perfume, but I hesitate to do that.
     I know there are other people "out there" who really like Dolce Vita as well, and they would thoroughly treasure this collection. 
     Maybe ebay would be the way to go?  I could give the proceeds to Big Family Mission.