The Small Moments of My Life

Hello my Friends!

When my family first approached me with their idea of the bracelets, the wooden hearts and the picture frame I was touched. Really touched. Okay….I cried. To be honest though I had no idea how much it would it all come to mean to me. When the hearts come in the mail, and yes they are still coming, it brings such joy to my heart. To read the words of encouragement, to see the artwork and the creative ways people have decorated their hearts is truly amazing. To place them in the picture frame and see them every day, to know those people are thinking of me is very uplifting and emotional. It is a way to keep the people that I love close to me during this time. It also got me to thinking.

It has been said that “the best part of your life will be those small, nameless moments you spent with someone who matters to you.” I have found that to be so true in my life. Even before I got sick I loved the small, quiet moments of my life spent with family and friends. I have realized though that these quiet moments don’t have to be face to face. They can be shared in a letter, an email, or on a wooden heart. These moments all of you have created for me have touched me deeply and I wanted to share some of them with you today. So pull up a chair, enjoy a cup of tea, maybe have a Kleenex handy and let’s share a small moment together.

A Moment with my Dad

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving my Dad had emergency surgery. They found a cancerous tumor in his appendix and he spent 13 days in the hospital. I was very worried about him and wanted to go home to be with him. I couldn’t however because of my chemotherapy. So I talked to him on the phone numerous times a day. One conversation really touched my heart. I don’t know how many of you watch the television show CBS Sunday Morning. I am not a big T.V. person but I do love to watch this program. On the Sunday after my Dad’s surgery they had a story about two young boys and a WWII war hero. It really touched my heart and it made me think of my Dad. He would have loved that story so much. Later that morning I called him at the hospital and he had seen the story too! I was so excited….we talked about that story and how much we loved it and how much it meant to us. We must have been on the phone for at least a half an hour. It was a wonderful moment, a small moment, that I shared with my Dad and one I will treasure always!

A Moment with my Mom

My Mom and I have always been close. We talk on the phone at least once a day and share the happenings of our days. Lately hers have been way more exciting than mine but I love to hear about all their adventures and the people that they meet. She worries about me so I try to encourage her and let her know that even though I am tired and maybe not feeling great I am okay. It is nice to have a Mom that cares about how I am. What a blessing. A small, quiet moment that we shared together recently was talking about her family. I never grow tired of hearing about my Grandparents, my Great-Grandparents etc. and she always loves to share what she remembers about them. She takes the time to make them real for me and I treasure that! Thanks so much for spending that time with me!

A Moment with Kathy

During the Christmas Holidays I received the most touching email from Kathy. She and I have been friends since we were little but when our children were small we had the privilege of living across the street from each other. Oh how wonderful that was! We would go back and forth from one house to the other, babies in tow, and talk about everything under the sun. One day she was at my house and we were talking about Christmas traditions and what we wanted to do for our children. I showed her the stocking I had made for Andrew and how each year I added a miniature ornament to it. She loved the idea and made one for her daughter. We don’t live across the street from each other anymore and our children are not babies anymore either but she sent me an email on the day she was sewing the ornaments on her children’s stockings and telling me how much that tradition meant to her 5 children and their family, and how she was thinking about me that day and she just wanted to let me know! I was so moved by that email I cried all day just thinking about it and all the fun times we shared….and I still cry thinking about it! Thank-you Kathy for that special, small moment in my life. Oh and by the way….this year I will be stitching Emily another stocking. It is called The Music Room by Cross- Stitch and Country Crafts….

A Moment with Carolien

Carolien is a very dear friend who lives in The Netherlands. Even though we are an ocean apart it feels like we live right next door to each other. Carolien, all of your cards, emails and surprise packages are so special to me. Your support, prayers, encouragement and friendship have meant so much to me and I share many quiet, small moments with you. I treasure them! One of the many things that Carolien and I share is our love of needlework. We both love to cross-stitch and quilt but we are especially addicted….yes addicted….to Amish samplers by Told in a Garden. In fact it was because of those samplers that we began emailing and have since become very dear friends. Someday my friend I will come to The Netherlands and share small moments with you face to face but for now the small moments that we do share are priceless. I think of you every day and Little Carolien is my constant companion these days as I am stitching on an Amish sampler….grins….Hugs across the ocean my friend!

"Grandmother's House" & "The Quilting"

A Moment with Vickie

Vickie is a new friend of mine. She also loves to cross-stitch and quilt. She sent me an email after learning about my cancer and was just so nice and is now praying for me! It really meant a lot to me to have her reach out and encourage me…..thank you Vickie for that small, quiet moment in my life. I sent you an email just the other day…I hope it was the right address…grins…

A Moment with Tammie

I have known Tammie since we were tiny. We went to school together, had sleep-overs, learned to drive at the same time, went to church together, were in each other’s weddings and are God-parents to each other’s children. We have shared many small, quiet moments together over the years but the other day a package arrived at my house. It was from Tammie. Her and her husband Chris had gone out to dinner at The Black Bear Diner ( I am so having dinner there with you guys when I come to visit) and there was this little black wish bear there and Tammie thought of me and sent him to me in hopes that he would be a friend to Hope Bear. Tammie he is a very special bear and he and Hope have become very good friends. Thank-you so much for that surprise, for that small moment I spent with you, for all of your cards and emails and prayers. They all are so special to me. I think of you every day and rest assured that Wish Bear is taking good care of me and keeping me company when you cannot be here! Hugs my friend!

"Wish Bear", "Hope Bear" and "Paddington Bear"

(Paddington Bear came from my friend Carolien, all the way from Paddington Station in England)

A Moment with Heidi

Heidi and I were roommates in college. Even though we live on opposites coastlines we have stayed in touch through the years. We have shared many small moments together through letters and emails. I haven’t posted on my blog for awhile and she was worried about me. Thank-you Heidi for all of your love and encouragement, for all of your prayers, your cards and your emails. Hope just loves her special blanket that you sent her….she has become quite the popular bear now….grins….and thank you for reminding me at the end of all of your letters that I am loved. You have faithfully done that all these years and that is a special small moment in my life that I treasure! Hugs to you my friend!

A Moment with Andrew

Andrew….what can I say except to tell you how much I love you! You have spent so many small treasured moments with me since the day you were born! I could not possibly name them all here. You have totally given of yourself since I got sick….you have taken over the heavy chores, you understand my love of bears…lol…you have made countless trips to the grocery store to find something that mom can eat, you sit through every chemo session with me, when you are not at home you send me messages to let me know that you are thinking about me and we walked the WHOLE tree farm together to find the perfect tree….yes I walked slowly but you walked at my pace as we looked at tree after tree….that is one of the small moments that I treasure and that is why I stitched you your Christmas ornament this year….winks….I love you Buddy and I will always treasure our times together. You make me so proud!

A Moment with Emily

Emily….there are no words to express how much I love you! Every moment that I spend with you is a gift, it is special. You are not only my daughter but you are my friend. You have taken such good care of me since I have been sick. You have taken the time to show me how to wear make-up through chemo, you have run errands for me to pick-up library books or floss colors, you have sat through chemo sessions with me…..everyone thinks you are so beautiful….and you are….yes on the outside but also on the inside…. You sit and watch old movies with me, you talk to me and still ask me to help you make something, you decorated the house for Christmas this year and treasured all the family memories. One of my favorite moments with you was while you were baking ALL the Christmas cookies. That was a huge job, but you did it and you filled our house with the beautiful smells of Christmas….another special, quiet moment….and of course I stitched that memory for you for Christmas! You will always be my Pooh Bear and I will love you forever and like you for always….just like the book says…..

A Moment with Scott

Scott….I have known you for over 33 years and we have been married for 31 of those years and I can honestly say that I have never loved you more. Since I was diagnosed with breast cancer you have kept this family running from early in the morning until late at night. You are always busy with something and still you find the time to share small quiet moments with me. You have held me when I cried, you have been there for every test, surgery and chemo session and everything else in between. You find food that I can eat, old movies that I love and books that I enjoy! We sit together and listen to the music that we love and enjoy a sunrise over coffee and tea. You make sure that I am warm enough,  you bring me flowers on chemo days because you know how hard those days are for me, and you never, ever let me forget that this will not last forever, that when this time of my life is over and I have beaten cancer we have a whole life to live and a whole lifetime to love and that I am still beautiful no matter how I feel. You make me feel treasured and loved and those are the small, quiet moments that I treasure. Thank-you for all that you do….no words can really say what I feel but you have always known my heart and you will understand. I love you!

So as you can see I am really okay! God has promised me that He would see me through, that He would give me the strength and all I need to get through each day and He has. Yes my second round of chemo is hard, yes I am still tired and in some pain most days but it is the small moments in my life that get me through. It is the moments shared with family and friends that keep me going. I have not shared all the memories so please don’t think if your name is not here I have forgotten you. That is not the case. I simply must stop for the day and rest a little. There will be more small moments blog posts with more memories to share so keep looking…grins….In the meantime here is a hug for all of you and a wish that your day is filled with all the things that bring you joy and a small, quiet moment with someone who matters to you!

Love, 
~Jenny~