Road Trip. We are back from two weeks on the road. I hope all of you are well. I hope the heat wave is not causing too many problems.
We had a wonderful time— other than traffic jams! We faced several massive bumper to bumper messes. The GPS actually saved an hour driving time in Memphis and it still took an hour to get across the Mississippi River.
We enjoyed the cool and the beauty of the Smoky Mountains with good friends,
We experienced our first wedding ceremony of the Jewish faith. The wedding was at the Chateau Elan in northeast Atlanta. A splendid place I would recommend for anyone wanting to get away for a couple of days.
The ceremony was filled with several meaningful traditions. The celebration included the Hava Nagila, complete with folks being lifted high in chairs. It was a grand time and got two wonderful young people off to a great start.
We visited my brother, my cousin and their families. We laughed and enjoyed the post-COVID celebration.
The trip was perfect for Jeny to relax, enjoy friends and family, before she faced the grind of chemotherapy.
Round 1. As I am writing this blog, she is receiving her first round of treatment. We had a couple of delays but she is underway. She gets three chemicals each treatment. The session takes at least six hours. She will get a treatment every three weeks for a total of six treatments. After chemotherapy is over the doctor will decide if he recommends radiation.
She is strong and resilient. My biggest concern will be helping her relax and recover rather than worrying about what “needs to be done.” While you are praying for her, pray for me to have strength and patience.
We deeply appreciate the many offers of prayer and support she has received.
Love. As you might imagine, Jeny’s struggles are foremost in my concerns right now. I have spent a lot of time reflecting about her and about our relationship. In four weeks, we will celebrate our 59th wedding anniversary. She has put up with a lot in that time.
Over the years, I have learned to accept who I am— warts and all. The warts I cannot do anything about, I accept— that is who I am. That thinking has helped me in my aging process; I accept the wrinkles and aches and pains.
The warts I can do something about, I try to openly face rather than deny. I pray, have fellowship and work hard to change my bad warts into good. I have some success and some failures.
One aspect of my life I have had to face is my lack of a romantic nature. I am a pragmatic person, not a romantic one. Public displays of affection do not come easily to me. Jeny has learned to live with that nature, although she really wishes I would dance with her.
Given my un-romantic nature, I have worked hard to be loving. We have built our marriage on love, love of God, love of each other and love for others.
At times, I wish I were more romantic for Jeny’s sake. At this time however, I am glad I am pragmatic rather than romantic. Seeing her suffer, losing her hair and whatever other side effects she faces, will need love not romance.
I hope I form loving words of encouragement, find the strength to perform household duties, have the patience to wait for healing, have the kindness to forgive if needed and to put her needs before mine.
At the start of our marriage 1st Corinthians 13 was read as a part of the ceremony. Little did we know how important words from that chapter would be—“ love bears all things, hopes all thing, endures all things.” Those words are needed now more than ever.
The passage ends with the statement — “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” I could not agree more.
Peace
Jerry
PS. The closest I come to romance is my poetry. I tried to show my feelings for Jeny in a poem for her birthday. Even in this poem you hear pragmatic love over romance.
On Your Birthday I Remember
For Jeny
In sickness and in health,
in our youth we uttered the oath,
excited, expectant, unknowing
the winding journey of vistas and valleys ahead.
In sickness and in health,
in our old age we know the truth
life is not easy romance
but worthwhile work.
In sickness and in health
means stroke and cancer,
family, friends and fellowship,
coffee, puppies and prayer.
In sickness and in health
no longer uttered
but lived joyfully side by side
until death do us part.
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