I have thought about all of you so much and time just seems to race by.

I returned to work last week. Work is helpful. It distracts me; it fills up time, and it keeps me out of this house. I am grateful that I have a job that I enjoy and co-workers who are kind and funny and understanding. I am now working 80% time so I work every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and every other weekend. That is also a good thing. I make a little more money and I am gone more. It does change my ability to get things done at home, but right now I am not very concerned about how the home is doing. Thank goodness Bill kept it up so well.

I am writing partly because I got a wonderful piece of news this weekend. Our dear friends, Fred and Mary are grandparents for the first time. They have a grandson, Austin. I am excited for them, and I admit that I think about this wonderful little child of God coming into the world as my wonderful man joins Jesus. Doesn't God have a wonderful plan? There is so much joy around the birth of a child. In fact there is so much joy that I felt a leap of joy when I read that a new baby was born! God showed me that I can still feel joy! That was a beautiful gift and this lovely little boy gave it to me just because he is born. I hope that everyone who reads this will pray for Austin, that he will grow in his love for God, and will laugh a lot in this funny world that is ours.

Last Thursday was my first day alone in the house. It was not a good day. At first I tried to work out a way to feel better, but soon decided that I needed a sad day and that I was going to feel all of the sadness and lonliness that I feel because Bill is gone. Friends called and that helped so much. I told a friend today that I am going to make a list of friends that I can call when I am sad because when I feel sad like that I cannot think clearly and it doesn't occur to me to call and tell someone that I am sad. I know that lots of us are sad. I slept well Thursday night and Friday was a better day - my second day alone, but I accomplished some things and it felt good.

I don't read Revelation very often, but I read this the other day and it fit: "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Revelations 21:4. God is certainly with me at all times because I wipe away a lot of tears.

So, I have to go to work tomorrow - Praise God and so I need to go to bed tonight. I will not wait so long to write again. I am starting to feel Bill's presence, the strength of his love reaches down from above and I feel him comforting me and pushing me toward the next task and the next time of rest. I thank God for him and I really thank God for all of you who call, think about me, love me, and care about and for me. A child was born this weekend. He is God's child and he is loved. Life has promise and for tonight that is good enough for me. I love you all. Sue