Softly and Tenderly

This is not my normal upbeat, funny little blog, but it needs to be said....

Softly and Tenderly, it's one of my favorite hymns. They played it at my mammaw's funeral 3 years ago. She was the inspiration little girls only hope for. Her beauty, style and grace was simply amazing. She always taught "me pretty is as pretty does" in fact, my cousin/sister gave me a pendant that I wear with the cross mammaw gave me- I never take it off. It reminds me of who I am and where I came from... But she's not really the reason I am writing today.

Often times we get caught up in our day to day lives with the small things like traffic and work issues getting to us. Some of you reading this are in the middle of a war so you all excluded from that statement. We sometimes forget the precious moments some people will never enjoy.

I want to tell you the story of Daniel. Up until he turned 13 he was a normal boy, playing with his friends, skinning up his knees and doing normal boy things. He was and still is the apple of his parents eyes. But when Daniel turned 13, he became very sick, it was an extremely rare disease that took his innocence from him. The doctors told his parents to put him in a nursing home but they refused. They decided to take care of him at home until he absolutely had to go into a nursing home. His mother worked days and his father worked nights so they could care for their only son. There were no prom dates, no football games, no being grounded for breaking curfew, all Daniel's parents wanted was for him to live, that's all, just to live.

Daniel eventually had to go into a nursing home and today he is slowly slipping away. The doctors have told his parents, he may go tonight, or tomorrow, they just don't know how long poor little Daniel will linger. By the way, Daniel is now 24. He wasn't even supposed to live this long. But by his sheer will to live and through the love his parents, he blessed us all by teaching us what real courage is.

Daniel's parents probably will not have the merriest of Christmas' because their grief is immeasurable right now, but what they are left with is the memory of one of the most amazing children any parent could ask for. It's a memory we can all share.

Today, I imagine my mammaw standing at the gate waiting to welcome sweet Daniel home. I'm pretty sure he's going to love her. I can also hear my favorite hymn...
Softly and Tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me...
See on the portals he's waiting and watching for you and for me;
Come home, come home, ye who are weary come home....

I feel blessed to even have known Daniel's name and to his parents... you are angels among us..