Things have been a little hectic around here.
After a whirlwind visit from my youngest sister and her family we finally had to say good-bye. I will miss her and her husband and those sweet little children who know me as "my cousins' mom."
And I have a new granddaughter! She finally made her entrance into the world. While she and mommy are in the hospital, sister and brother are staying here.
So I'm going to take a break today and let my friend Heidi tell her story. I've know Heidi for many years and greatly admire her focus in her journey. Read her story, check-out her blog and register for her give-away.
When All You Need Is
Family...
We stood
together, just the six of us. On a day
when we buried one, we huddled... holding and upholding. When others said...we'll be there. I said... no.
All I wanted, all I needed was my family. I gathered them around me... my parents, my man, and my kids
together. It was enough.
Family...
that group of people who are defined by blood lines, and maybe more. Sometimes those closest to our hearts do not
share the same family tree. We cannot
choose our relations but we can choose to redefine the term family to include
those who are closest to us. Those we
live life with... the ones to whom we cling when the storms of life roar and
the winds threaten to overflow us.
I am blessed
with an amazing family. As I grow older
and slightly wiser, I have learned to count that amazing family as a gift. I now recognize its rarity. I also know that I have friends who are as
close to me as my sisters. I've learned
to count them as family and as gifts.
They are equal but different
treasures to my heart.
Recently, I
wrote a novel about family and friendship, life and loss... The Secret of
Counting Gifts and
an accompanying journal, The Secret of
Counting Gifts Gratitude Journal. Both volumes have been released and are
now available through Amazon.com.
The
Secret of Counting Gifts is the story of
Kris McClintock and Liz Bower and their friendship that spans
twenty-eight years. Through marriage,
babies, and infidelity they stand by each other and hold one another up...
until breast cancer delivers the final blow.
As she sits by Liz, Kris recounts the trials and blessings that made them who they are. She tells their story and recalls the many
"gifts" they have been blessed with throughout the years. She shares
of how Liz taught her to notice the gifts in each day and to live with a
grateful heart. It is through the telling of their story that the secret of
counting gifts is discovered....
Throughout
this month, I'm on a virtual book tour, meeting up with bloggers and talking about
friends and family, life and loss. You
can see the stops along the way at www.heidikreider.com. Come on over and say "Hey!" and
register for my giveaway... autographed copies of The Secret of Counting Gifts
and The Secret of Counting Gifts Gratitude Journal in a hand-made
basket, made my lovely friend, Anne.
All
those years ago, my family stood with me as we buried our stillborn son. Who do you have stand with you when you face
loss? Do you have friends who are as
close to you as family?
**
Heidi Kreider is a wife, mother, author, and friend. She blogs about life, grace, and gratitude at
www.heidikreider.com.
Thanks for letting me hang out here today, Michele! And congrats to all the McCrums!!
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