God's providence in the simple things.

Today is the fourth of july. It's the American holiday, which often makes me think of what is perhaps the time in my life in which i felt most patriotic about this day- when i lived in Albania. See, we were there through two Fourths. Both years we attended the big celebration at the American embassy. The first year it was right after we had arrived, and the experience perhaps rang a bit hollow for me. The second year i'd been out of my native soil for about a year, and bought into the experience much more fully. But i digress here. Let's talk about today's fourth. This morning we went to the parade in a nearby town, like we usually do. By we, i mean momma and me. Tonight we went to the fireworks in the same town. By we, i mean momma bubs and me. This morning i had such a plan. Arrive and park behind the publishing house, walk maybe 200 meters and watch the parade. It's what we did last year. It was such a wiser plan, i told myself smugly, than what we had done in the past. In the past we had parked at my friend's mom's house. It's quite a hike, perhaps half a mile to the parade ground then. It's down quite a bit hill to get to the parade, but up on the way back. After driving around for maybe a half hour, i despaired of finding the right parking closer. God was good to us- we didn't actually hit anyone or anything in what was a sizable crowd of drivers equally determined to find parking on back streets and public lots. Perhaps 10 to 30 minutes after the parade stepped off i gave up and headed to the house atop the hill. my concern was the trip back up the road, which had been difficult for mom in the past. i grumbled at the fact that my brother hadn't come, and wondered if i could find someone to stand with her while i ran up for the car. God was good (He always is!) and i ran into a good friend. She agreed to have mom hang with her while i ran (literally part of the way- so incredibly out of shape i am) for the car. Then two fire police men chatted with us and allowed me to park the car off to the side to pick her up. God is so good!! Praise God!! Praise God for everything!! One of the things worth praising Him for has been in my head lately- that being how we can care for mom. She still very much enjoys herself. She still loves life. She still smiles and has preferences. She is doing really well. It saddens me to think what she would be missing were she in a home. Now home's are not always bad things. There are places for them. Sometimes it's the right move. However, that doesn't mean as soon as someone has dementia that's where they should go. There is so much of life to be lived outside a home, even one with good activities. There is so much to be lived outside a locked ward. Were she in a home, mom very well might have missed out on that parade and that fireworks show. Praise God she didn't!!