A couple of weeks have gone by with no major incidents, but there has been more revealing involved that I attribute to God’s grace. I’m learning to treat Peg with the tenderness that one would give to a little child because, in numerous ways, that is what she is becoming. It’s difficult to witness and tears at the heart, but I am continually amazed at God’s grace for letting me comprehend. The frustration Peg experiences with not being able to finish some of her sentences is telling. She needs the continual reassurance of my caring and provision, and God has been most gracious in that. I can’t help but love her. And in far too many instances, I am only able to glimpse what she is going through. Yet for the most part, she is content, and there is comfort in the routine we follow on a day-to-day basis. Peg taking her meds hasn’t been problematic as of late, and I am grateful for that. Her eating habits vary more now at times, but I can still accommodate and meet her nutritional needs by catering to things that she likes and are good for her, instead of what I have already prepared for both of us for supper, as an example. We still talk a lot, and we still laugh throughout the day at various times. It’s just those little things that we both enjoy that are still shared. I still love just looking at her. Her eyes, looking at me, speak volumes, and there is no doubt that we both love one another. I put a small string of lights up on our patio that are powered by the sun and turn on automatically as it gets darker in the evening. Two evenings this week, we just sat outside together, waiting for them to turn on and got excited when they did so! Who would have thought that something so simple as that could give us both contentment and joy?

It takes much longer for her to get ready to go outside for a drive now than it did before. I need to give Peg her clean clothes and sometimes explain step by step what she needs to do. But she can still do it, albeit a little slower. We laugh at how if we were on the Titanic when it went down, neither one of us would have made it to the upper deck. As of late, she is more prone to reorganize the glove compartment in the car when I am driving. There’s no requirement, but she does it anyway. If she gets two or three things in her hands, she gets confused as to what she should do next. Patience is the priority. Sometimes I pull over, or other times I just tell her to put the things on the floor, and I will square them off when we get home, and I park the car. I wash and dry all of our soiled clothes now. Peg will fold them, and I put them away because she frequently puts items in the wrong drawer. I know all of the drawers where items can be mistakenly placed. Misplacements are frequent, but it is not problematic. Considering how Peg took care of our five children and all household needs by herself when I was away in the military, what she could do then and is able to do now is quite a contrast. But we still manage quite well. She still tells me I need to change my shirt before going out! I think it is clean, but she says it is dirty. She is usually right! Every day we have together is a gift. So many little things that we still can share. At night, when I get into bed and I put my arm around her, she sighs and pulls my arm closer to her. You can’t buy that, and that is a gift. One day at a time. Peg and I will be married 55 years in December of this year. Considering what we gave God to work with, it is amazing what He has taught and shown us about love over the years. I continually marvel at His grace.

When Bruce Cooper became a Christian he had a thousand questions. One objective for his blog is to provide answers to many of the questions that he originally had. His “Christian Resources” and “Defending Your Faith 101” pages provide many facets of Christian Apologetics. Bruce is an ordinary Christian layperson and his blog is the result of his conviction. Teaching Christians to know why they believe, and what they believe has helped him build on his conviction. Bruce served 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He has worked as an Information Technology (IT) Network Administrator, and a Certified Google Apps Deployment Specialist. He retired at the age of 70 and now works part time with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires. Bruce, A.K.A. Papa, and his wife Peggy live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Their five children are grown and have gifted them with 7 wonderful grandchildren.

Featured Image by Charles Woodruff using deepai.org