Well hello stampers and happy late Friday to you. This will be a post with no pictures! That is what happens when you are at your parents’ place and all of your day is occupied with taking care of two elderly and sometimes frustratingly stubborn parents. Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond grateful to still have them both and to be in a position where I can drop everything and be there for them. But still.

When the Light Fades

It is hard to see your formerly strong and vibrant father sitting in his chair in the corner of the kitchen with the light fading from his eyes. He just looks so soul weary. Sometimes he says quietly, I just want to go home to heaven. I try to joke with him a bit and tell him that he doesn’t have an appointment. The thing is, he does, he just doesn’t know when. I think that is the hard part. The not knowing. I have a new respect for my mom. It can be quite the grind being a caregiver twenty four seven.

A Bright Moment

There was a bright moment this morning when I was sorting through my stamping stash getting ready for my YouTube live video tomorrow morning at 10am. I was explaining to them how my Parcels in the Post works. I had some pretty designer series paper called (fittingly) True Love and some Blends so I gave some to Mom to colour. Pap was also sitting at the table and before long he was giving mom advice on which colours to use. So I gave him a piece of True Love paper and told him he could colour his own.

I’m not very good at that says he. No worries say I. It’s extra paper and it doesn’t matter if you ruin it. As a Dutch person who has been through the war and through grinding poverty, there isn’t much greater sin than waste. So this was all he needed to get going. The moment was so imbued by love and peace that I felt moved to take a video. This was a side of my father I had never seen and it was also one that resonated so deeply with me.

Not Artistic

You see, I never thought I was artistic either. I think I actually felt some deep seated shame and insecurity about it. Everyone should be able to draw, but I couldn’t. That is why I fell in love with stamping. The drawing was already done for me by the stamp design artists. I could do the rest! I know that many people , and perhaps you feel this way too and it is my great joy to share creativity with you and to show you that yes, you can be artistic too.

The Video

So here is the very short video that I made of the two of them colouring quietly at the kitchen table with the winter sun making the snow sparkle and drenching the kitchen in beautiful light. I am blessed indeed! Even when Pap asks for fruit and when I bring it to him he says that no, he doesn’t want it after all.

Off To Bed

So now I am off to bed with one ear open in case I am needed throughout the night. We are now living one day at a time and we are thankful for each precious moment. Thanks for joining me today. Big hugs and sweet dreams and maybe tomorrow we’ll have a super day.

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