Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: In-Law(s) (05/08/08)
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TITLE: Legacy | Previous Challenge Entry
By Pamela Kliewer
05/13/08 -
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The doctor’s words stunned us, sending us into a tailspin of shock. The small room we were in seemed even smaller as we tried to digest this news. Just hours before, my father-in-law had been outdoors, vibrantly alive, doing what he loved best – tending the garden and raised flowerbeds. Now he was going to die? “No!” Our hearts screamed in silent, anguished protest. A hemorrhagic stroke had afflicted his body, putting him immediately into a coma. A week prior he had been in the hospital for something minor and for the first time my husband remembers, said I love you to us as we left the room. We wonder if he somehow knew what was coming…
Seven days later he was with his Lord and Maker, smiling slightly as he left his earthly body to join Him in heaven.
More than sixteen years later I remember my father-in-law with love and admiration. He suffered through many years of pain because of severe arthritis. Never once did I hear him complain. He also had poor circulation in his legs that cost him first a toe, then a foot, and later, part of his leg. I saw him persevere through phantom pain and learn to deal with being disabled.
The short seven years I knew him as my father-in-law he inspired me to keep moving forward through life’s difficulties. Many times when we would visit him and my mother-in-law he would be outside when we arrived. Being outdoors kept him vivacious as he focused on something other than his pain. I believe it kept him from feeling sorry for himself.
Another much loved activity was playing board games with us when we’d go for a visit. Scrabble was an all time favorite. Many times he’d get a mischievous look in his eye, a sly smile playing about his mouth, as he’d put tiles on the board and say, “Isn’t that a word?” We’d all laugh with delight at his antics.
Looking back, I wonder if it was his perseverance to keep on keeping on, despite his physical challenges, that prepared me to deal with his son’s, (my husband’s) own health problems a few years after he passed away. It may have also set the stage for my husband being able to walk through the dark valley of the shadow of death leaning on Jesus to carry him through. He learned from his father what do through adversity.
How grateful I am for the legacy of faith my father-in-law left behind for my husband to grasp hold of and make his own.
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What a legacy for sure. Thanks for writing this-it is a good reminder for me today.
Thank you for comment on my story. I have blind spots on this area....can you email me and tell me where I should have put question marks instead of commas. I really need help in this area. ([email protected]).