A Thousand Tiny Blessings

Originally written October 26, 2005.

Grandma died today. It's been coming for a while, so no one was that surprised. In the midst of juggling meetings and making travel arrangements, I didn't have much time to contemplate it. But on my drive home tonight, I thought about how wonderful it was that everyone was in town, that in her last moments in that hospital bed she was with her family. In picturing her in a hospital room--and not at MaryKay's house--it occurred to me that this was exactly why she had to break her hip last week: so she could die in the hospital.

God, as usual, knew what He was doing, even though it wasn't clear to me a week ago. Knowing she wasn't going to bounce back from a broken hip, I was upset at the news. To me it seemed an awful, painful thing to have to suffer through. But now it's clear. Grandma had to be hospitalized. It prompted people to come to town. It meant MaryKay and the kids don't have to be weirded out by the fact that Grandma died in their house. It all fits.