Cheerful and Grateful

It's Thanks Giving and I'm home with my parents. It's been a crazy Fall for these two. 

My father had a knee replacement surgery last week. He's still got staples in his knee and using a walker. Recovering from knee surgery takes a long time. He decided to walk out to the mailbox together to get a bit of air and exercise. I rather like my father and went along for the walk down our long driveway with him. As we returned I commented on his the many challenges that had come for him this fall. 

"You know Dad, you've had a lot of really rough things this fall." 

His reply? "Well, the meningitis wasn't that bad."

Yep. That's what he said. The meningitis wasn't that bad. Let me tell you about that meningitis. It was in September. He was having Grand Mal Seizures, and the doctors had no idea why. He had trouble walking, and serious short term memory loss, was in the hospital for three days, and had to be returned after only two days home. Is brain was swollen, he was put on anti seizure medication and not allowed to work for drive for over a month afterward. 

What a man my father is. Through all of that time he'd smile at me, tell jokes, always looking on the bright side. Today was just the same. "Oh it's not so bad." he'd say, showing off his scar, determinedly doing as much for himself, and anyone else, that he can. 

Oh how I love my father. He tells me he believes women are made out of finer stuff.  

He followed up that statement on meningitis with "It was much harder on your mother."  

I told my mother about our talk. She, in her faithfulness said, "The Lord has been polishing us." 

What cheerful, grateful, faithful people my parents are. If imitation really is one of the most natural ways to learn, maybe there is hope for me yet. What a blessed life I have to grow up under their tutelage and examples.