Birthday in Denver

I arrived in Denver on Friday afternoon after a nine hour drive that surprisingly didn't bother me at all.  I never realized that there are windmill farms and oil derricks in Kansas.  One remarkable place I passed had a field of sunflowers as far as the eye could see.  Just gorgeous but going 75mph (or maybe 83) it was too difficult to stop on the shoulder to get a pic.  That was about the only pretty landscape in Kansas.  The other oddity of the ride is that there are no real foothills to the Rocky Mountains.  Denver is a mile high but it was all so gradual an incline going though eastern Colorado, it didn't feel like I was going up!

The first night my younger sister and I went out for dinner at the restaurant where my daughter, Julie is the sous chef.  We had a wild boar ragu which was amazing.  Julie demonstrated her culinary skills when Debbie was on hospice and all the kids were staying at the house.  She got a masters degree in biochemistry but found that she loved and was skilled in cooking and baking.  She transitioned from the science laboratory to the kitchen and loves that work so much more and it shows.  It's not what I envisioned for her but that just shows that dads don't always have the correct vision for their children!

Saturday Julie, her husband, the two girls and I went to the Garden of the gods.  It is a beautiful park near Colorado Springs south of Denver.  The girls are really good hikers and we had a wonderful time.  That night Julie made home made pulled pork sliders, cole slaw with home made dressing and salad.  Yum!  Best BBQ yet!!

Yesterday was another Sunday, my hardest day of the week and on top of that my 65th birthday.  It has been 26 weeks since Debbie died.  As the days have become weeks and the weeks have become months, the burden has not lessened much if any.  My eyes moisten just writing these words.  I received countless Facebook messages, texts and phone calls from family, work family and friends and yet, the one I didn't get was Debbie's sweet birthday card.  As thankful as I am that Debbie is no longer suffering, the pain of her absence is nearly stifling at times.  When this pain seems to be a mountain I can't climb, I know I must lean on the Lord as He says in Psalm 147:3  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

However, it was amazing the number of people who lifted me up yesterday.  Social media certainly has its negatives but I heard from friends, family, work family, former residents and students, and patients and their parents.  Not only that, there is a former patient who lives is Denver and has a three year old daughter (a miracle in and of itself) who took me out for brunch.  It was so great to see her and catch up!  Plus, Julie had a birthday party for me attended nephew, his wife and their six week old twins!  The food and birthday cake (my two granddaughters helped make it) were delicious.  The day was clearly a combination of bitter and sweet.

Today we went to the kids' school as they had a Run for Funds.  It was so fun to be a part of their every day life.  Loving being with Julie and the kids in their town, something I haven't done for six years!