Week 2: Love Letters

Happy Monday, everyone! My first week went very well, and it was a great start to Seize the Week. I feel like God confirmed that this project will be one that grows and shapes me, and I'm excited for that!

Week 2 is "Love Letter" week, and it is inspired by my grandma. I'll explain....Early yesterday morning, my grandma gave my family and I quite the scare. She woke up and had the chills to the point where she was shaking uncontrollably, which then triggered an anxiety attack. She wasn't speaking coherently and was acting very strange, so we rushed her to the emergency room. A little background on my grandma: She's been living with my parents for about 5 years, which has been ever since my grandfather passed away. The year that my grandpa passed away, I went to live with my grandma for a semester which happened to be my senior year in high school. It was difficult to see how quickly my grandma's health had deteriorated after my grandpa passed. It was almost as if she stayed strong to help grandpa with his health problems, but as soon as he passed, she felt she could let go and receive the medical attention she had needed all along. I woke up early every morning to get her out of bed, take her to the bathroom, make her meals in the morning and then the night when I got home from school. I listened to her talk to grandpa as she was falling asleep, watched as she cried and cried about how much she missed him.....it was intense physically and emotionally, but my love for my grandma kept me going. Then everyone decided that she needed to move in with my family, especially since I was leaving for college. The transition of living with my family was a rough one and is a strain especially on my mom, but she is family and my parents and sisters have adjusted.

My grandma's health dramatically changed for the better, despite the minor setbacks here and there. After moving away for college, I grew apart from my grandma to the point where I have a hard time talking with her now. I'm honestly not quite sure why, and I can honestly tell you that it breaks my heart. Well, maybe I do know why and just haven't let go of past hurts. Now fast forward to yesterday as I was sitting with my grandma in the emergency room. The doctor said that she says pneumonia, and she's going to be just fine. So don't worry- she's ok! As I sat there thinking about my relationship with my grandma, she tells me a story about the last time she was in the hospital. She had a nurse that had just gotten married a week or so before and that nurse asked my grandma if she had any advice for a newly wed. Grandma thought for a while and said, "Never go to bed angry. Me and my husband would fight...a lot, but each night as we were about to go to sleep, we would talk it through. We did this except for one night, which happened to be the night before he died." The nurse took the advice, and I'm sure that it was a piece of advice she wouldn't soon forget. As my grandma said this to me, tears started rolling down my face. She said "Amanda, don't take for friends or family for granted. Don't leave a fight unresolved, and cherish the ones you love."

God had His hand in this whole emergency room visit. I was able to spend time with my grandma for the first time in a long time, and I have a new appreciation for her. Week 2 is inspired by my grandma because I want to take her advice seriously. I sometimes take my family and friends for granted. If you know me, you know that I am intentional person who loves to show people that I love them, but there are times I forget. Every day this week, I am writing two "Love Letters" to 2 people in my life, so a total of 14 people will get a letter. I want to make sure the people in my life know the impact that they've made on my life and know how much I love them. I praise God for the gentle reminders He speaks through people in our lives.