The best mother-in-law

My mother-in-law Phebe passed away tonight, succumbing to a brief but valiant battle against pancreatic cancer. She was a woman who lived a life of faith and love, and that matters. I wanted to say what a terrific mother-in-law she was.

The stereotypical MIL is bossy and critical. Not Phebe. If she wanted to show me something--a product or a new way of doing something--she would never say, "Here's how you do it," or "This is a better way." Instead, she would say, "I really like this, and here's why." This gentle instruction invited me to see other ways of doing without being unkind, and I treasure the times I spent with her. They were always loving, and funny, and warm. I should mention her son inherited this way of instructing from her.

Please pray for the peace of God to be with our family. I'm posting a page I did of her last fall, honoring her immense talent in photography:

With a fierce heart

Our family got some bad news recently. My MIL's pancreatic cancer has returned, and she is feeling run down.

I don't even know how to describe the feelings right now, but I prayed a lot, and after church this Sunday, I sat down to write a poem about how I felt. I'm not a poet, so it's not pretty, but it is how I feel.

Today's LOAD challenge was "Never," to scrap something you never do. I took my poem and made a page without a photo. Here it is:

I should mention that my poem is not sad, but it is determined. I am determined to put my troubles to God. I know that if I let Him, He will take my emotional burdens. I pray that I can do everything I can when others need me to take theirs.