Month: October 2020

Life Will Find a Way

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I came across this photo I took on this day three years ago. It is a picture of a tiny fern growing underneath a concrete ledge.

The amazing thing about this fern is that the ledge where it is growing is on the 47th floor of the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle, 449 ft above the city.

At the time I took this photo, I was struck by the ability of such a small plant to take root and grow in a thin crack of concrete. How far and how high did the spores need to travel to reach this lofty height and settle in? No fertilizer, no special care or tending just sun and rain. I know rain seems to be in abundance in Seattle but this fern had most likely rooted during the warm summer. Did it sustain itself from the fog and warm moist ocean air that came in from the Puget Sound? How exactly did it find that “one spot” to lodge itself, take root and hold on in the winds that blow in off the water that are aided and strengthened by the effects of the Olympic Mountains? The answer, only my conclusion and insight here; Life and the will to survive is strong and even a fern finds a way to carry on.

It is a promising sign that even in the harshest circumstances life will find a way to thrive. Living in this time of lockdowns and corona virus where many are afraid for the future. Take heart because just like this little fern, growing under the ledge on the 47th floor of the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle, we will find a way to adapt and persevere even though it’s not always easy.

Above and Beyond

emyloom Leave a comment

With all the negative press regarding law enforcement officers, I’d like to share a note from 5 years ago when I gave shout of praise to one special officer my life.

The police officers I know have huge hearts, although those big hearts aren’t always visible to all. Mostly we see their tough exteriors not the soft and sweet interiors.

This special officer is my son who is a LEO in Colorado. At the time of this event he was a detective and part of his job is handling elder abuse cases. He had been sent some information on an elderly lady who officers met due to an arrest they made at her residence. When the officers were there they noticed the lady had a rotten floor in front of her doorway and passed this information to him wondering if someone could help her get it repaired.

He made some calls and got a donation from Home Depot and he went on his own time and made the needed repairs her stairs and her floor.

As he got to know the lady, he realized she had been living in this home in Colorado for 44 years and for the past four years without a furnace. 

So he made some calls and located a company to donate a furnace. Because she had no furnace, her pipes had frozen and she also had no water. He also located a company to donate that repair.

Her roof leaked, he found someone to fix her roof.

There were relatives (ne’er-do-wells) that had been taking advantage of her over the years and had left junk all over her house; he organize teams of volunteers to help clean it up.

Then he organized donations for new carpet and new appliances.

All this was done over a month’s time – he worked on his free time and his days off to help her.

We hear all to often about the “bad cops” (the less than one half of one percent). That means for every 5 bad cops there are 995 good ones, generous ones, caring ones… ones that go above and beyond to help the helpless, give a strength to the weak and elderly, and put their lives in the line of fire to protect strangers and members of their communities.

Law enforcement is a tough job. Everyone should walk their walk a few miles to fully understand the challenges and rewards.

PS: I did not get approval to tell his story. He’d never seek accolades on his own. I’m claiming Mother’s privilege.

Casting Cares

emyloom Leave a comment

This post came up in my Facebook memories from 10 years ago.

“Abba Father, thank You for walking with me in every season of life. Today, I cast all of my cares on You.”

Today I am still casting my cares on Him.

Last Tuesday I got a call that my mother was at the hospital. She had a blockage in her left peripheral artery and there was no blood flow to her leg. There was some discussion about her age, 87, and whether we should move ahead with surgery or say goodbye. The decision to do surgery would depend on the vascular surgeons assessment.

The surgeon called me at midnight Tuesday and told me he thought he could help her, but there were many risks and pitfalls along the way. She might not survive the procedure, they may not be able to restore blood flow below her knee which would bring a new set of problems and a host of other issues.

The decision was not hard for me, although she has dementia, she had still been moving around the nursing home being a wisecracker and spreading joy. I wanted to give her a fighting chance.

I arrived on Wednesday and she was in the ICU – it appeared that the blood flow was completely restored all the way to her toes but the first couple of days it waivered a few times and her heart was in Afib.

Today, they are moving her back to rehab. She cannot move her leg or toes and she has no sensation but pain and cold even though her foot is warm.

The doctor who saw her Tuesday night said he is amazed at how well her leg is doing. Best outcome for blood flow return he has ever seen. As far as no feeling in that leg (except for the pain) and inability to move it that will take time and physical therapy for that to return.

My sister and I are going to follow the ambulance back to the nursing and rehab facility and give her lots of love and kisses before she goes back inside. She will be in quarantine for 14 days.

I know the day will come when I will say my last goodbye, but it wasn’t this time and it’s not today.

This picture was the day after surgery and she had let me braid her hair. I took a picture today and she stuck her tongue out so you know that sass is back!

❤️ A multitude of thanks to the vascular surgeon Dr Helmer and his kindness. As well as all the staff at Ascension Providence Hospital in Waco.