Birthdays

 Birthdays come around faster than a Cheeta can run these days. Wasn't it just last week when I had one? What's that? It's been a year? No way.

Our daughter, Christy, took us to the Astro game.  It was great fun. I ate a hotdog. And of course, cake.

The doctor told my mom she'd have a firecracker before Sunday School.  And so she did. Yep, I'm a July 4 baby.

Getting older brings challenges and rewards.  I've enjoyed many birthdays and hope to have many more.

I hope you do too.

Gay's Days These Days

Hi Friends,

I thought you might like an update.

When I began this blog post, I'd been awake since 12:47 AM. Yuck. It's misery not to be able to sleep. I have nights like that.  Too many to talk about.

Paul and Gay at Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier

We spent last week in the Canadian Rockies. We've been there before, but hubby wanted a trip down Memory Lane.  I did a travel video there years ago, and I'd love to sell the footage. It's great stuff, but it needs to be digitized and updated. I have no desire to do that. I contacted one of the hotels about buying it. I wish you could see it. If you have a workable VHS, I'll sell you a copy!

 My knee was fine while we were away. Thank the Lord! We walked 2/3 miles each day. Some of it was on uneven ground and a bit difficult. We came home and I did laundry. On day two back at home, I couldn't walk. My right knee decided it had experienced enough. So, it quit.  I made an appointment for an MRI at the end of this month. It's the first thing that is required for a knee replacement.

 I've been icing and elevating since then, but I'm up and about now. However, my knees are one of the reasons I didn't sleep.

 My house is a mess. I'm not kidding. I hope to get to it soon. 

I finally saw Shelley yesterday. It had been about two weeks since I saw her. She remembered me! Yay! The knees, plus, seven people at her memory care facility have Covid, and visitors aren't allowed.  I know she needed supplies, and I needed to see her.

 Paul is getting shots in his eye for a leaky blood vessel. Doesn't that sound awful?  I have a friend that is getting shots in her eardrum. That sounds horrific too.  The things we go through, but it's worth it if it helps.

 

                                        The Lodge at Jasper 

We enjoyed the scenery in Canada. However, two of the luxury hotels aren't air conditioned, and Canada was having a heat wave. So much for escaping Texas heat. Right? The picture with cabins above are similar to the ones where we were. The mornings were cool, and we needed jackets, but the nights felt like  August in Texas with no A/C or ceiling fans.

Traveling is wonderful and it is a luxury. I regret that many can't see these stunning views. I plan to share more of them and tell you more details as we go along. I just thought you might like to hear from me. 

Gay on Amazon

Love Those Marines!

 Nancy and I loved watching the Marines perform maneuvers. In the above video, we observed the plane landing and taking off. 

This is a small airfield in Hearne, TX, and the military contracts with the powers-that-be to use it for training purposes.

Our hotel was filled with these young service people, and many of them were long-timers in the military.

Since they were on training drills, I assumed they were all recruits. Nope. Many had been in for years.

Nancy, Terrell, and Gay

Terrell has been a Marine for nineteen years and loves the Corps. 

Nancy, Rick, and Gay

Rick and Terrell were checking out and planned to explore a bit of Texas before heading back to Okinawa, Japan, their base. We were fortunate to have their presence for two days, and they were interesting and informative. 

We received permission to watch the group parachute from the plane. We were keyed up for this adventure.

Even though we arrived at the airfield at 8:00 pm, it was still a hot, windy time. The guys had told us they would take off at 8:15. We drove as far down the gravel road as we could and then waited.

There were no delays with this plane! It taxied by us at 8:15 and was airborne a few minutes later. I waved like crazy when it ambled by us. A few of the Marines returned my gesture.

We were thrilled  about thirty minutes later when we saw the parachutes descending. 

They look close, but I know they aren't. I asked if they felt like they were falling. One told me the velocity of the wind prevented the feeling. I don't plan to ever find out what he meant!

My friend, Nancy, captured my joy at seeing the men parachute from the plane. I'm a proud citizen of the United States of America. So is Nancy.

We waited after dark to see if they returned, but if they parachuted again in the blackness, it was too dark for us to see. When we heard a horse and rider approaching from a field, we decided to leave. After all, we were out in the middle of nowhere, and the Marines were up in the sky someplace, not close by to protect us from the unexpected.

Gazing at our Marines and their bravery is an experience to remember.

A girlfriend trip is a good thing to do too. I'm fortunate to have Nancy in my life. We've been freinds since we were kids. She married first, and I was her Maid of Honor, then a few months later, she was my Matron of Honor. No need to tell you how long ago that was!

Gay on Amazon

The Marines: An Unexpected Vacation Find!

 My forever friend from childhood and I met in Hearne, TX to spend a few days. Nancy lives in Irving, and I'm in Weston Lakes. Hearne is about halfway for each of us.

When we arrived at the Holiday Inn Express, we discovered the hotel was filled with Marines who were in Texas from Okinawa, Japan. They had arrived in our little central Texas town for training.

I called hubby and told him not to worry about us. We were safe. The Marines had landed.

Here Nancy and I are at breakfast. She loved the cinnamon rolls and I scarfed down the biscuits with gravy. The Marine waiting in line behind me didn't soak his biscuit with the creamy stuff like I did, and I suggested he had a bit more to his plate. Since he serves in Japan, I thought he might not know about Texas biscuits and gravy. It turns out he was a native Texan. Maybe he watches his cholesterol more than I do.   

 The dining room at breakfast was filled with Marines, but I didn't take their picture. I found out later that it would have been okay for me to do so, but that was  a day or two later.  

Nancy and I were in awe of these men who serve our country. We wanted to adopt them and be a grandmother to them.

I'll tell you more about them later. Stay tuned.

After breakfast, we toured Camp Hearne. It is a WWII historic site and exhibit. Over 4800 German prisoners were held in this POW camp. At the time, the population of Hearne, TX was less than 3500.

Our military chose Hearne, Tx out of kindness for these German prisoners of war. Central Texas would remind them of their home country. The prisoners from Hitler's Army were taken captive while serving in foreign lands and brought here to America, but Hearne was not the only POW camp.

They were treated well here in America. At Hearne, they had a double portion of rations and a normal workload. The site has remnants of prisoner-built amenities. There are over  thirteen hiking trails. Nancy and I didn't explore any of them. It was too hot! I think the temp registered 105 F that day, but on a cooler day, it would have been fun.

This POW camp had a stadium-seating theater with an orchestra pit. The prisoners dressed up in homemade costumes and performed plays from memory.  After their exposure to America, several brought their families here after the war and became citizens. 

After Camp Hearne, Nancy and I toured the historic, Hearne Depot. We found out that Hearne is known as the Crossroads of Texas.

Bob Batson, Curator

Bob Batson, Curator, could write a history book with his knowledge. 

Two railways crossed Hearne in 1869. The Houston & Texas Central (it is now the Southern Pacific) and the International (now the Missouri Pacific).

The Depot museuem contains a wonder of interesting exhibits. It has two waiting rooms for travelers back in the day. They are a mirror of each other and are identical. One was for the black travelers, and one was for white.

By the way, the Depot has a display dedicated to Aunt Jemima. 

Rosie Lee Moore, wife of Travis Hall, was "Aunt Jemima" for the Quaker Oats Company for 25 years.  She's a native of Hearne.

I've driven through Hearne many times as I traveled to the DFW area and never knew Hearne had these  historic sites. 

Hubby wants dinner, so come back for more stories about the wonderful Marines. I'll add them with pictures later.

After that hot day of exploring, Nancy and I retreated to the hotel. I had forewarned her that I turn the temp down to 65 F in the room. She brought extra blankets. 

I can't wait to tell you about the Marines!

Gay's Amazon Page

Adventures While on Vacation

 

I love vacations. Here we are a few years ago in Yosemite. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed staring up at the giant trees.

But hold to your hats!  This picture was taken before the fire.

Our tour group was trapped in the park until after midnight. A roaring blaze broke out, and we had to wait our turn to evacuate.  We stayed on the bus while the evening melted away in red smoke. We coughed a bit, too. The night we were trapped, it was so smokey, we covered our noses. Ashes fell on us, too.

We finally checked into our hotel room, but there was no power, so we couldn't see. We used the flashflight on our cell phones. There was no electricity when we woke up either. 

I always regretted that. The hotel where we were staying sat on top of a creek, or it might have been a river, it was too dark to tell. We could hear the water rushing, but we couldn't glimpse it till morning. It was a beautiful, rugged spot. 

It seems fires are common in this beautiful park.  In fact, there's one burning 600 acres as i write this post. I'm glad I'm not trapped there today, but I'd love to go back and stay in that hotel, and I wish I knew the name of the thing. Not that I'll go back, but I'd like to.

 If you click on the link, you'll see the smoke from the recent fire.  

Fire in Park

Have you been to Yosemite? If not, you should go, but be warned. You might have the adventure of a life time if you get caught in one ot their forest fires!

Gay N. Lewis on Amazon

Life is Holy

 

 

The Holiness of Life

Around January 22 of every year, I teach a Sanctity of Life lesson in my Bible Study class.  You'll find the link at the bottom.

Christians around the world set this day aside back in 1973 when the Supreme Court decided abortion was legal. Since that decision, 63 million babies have lost their lives.  Who knows? Perhaps one or more of these humans would have discovered the cure for cancer, dementia, or other terrible diseases.

After forty-nine years of people praying for it to happen, the present court has overturned the heinous decision made by the previous 1973 Court. I have no idea why it took God so long to answer the prayers of Christians.  Scripture says a thousand years is like a day to God. Our Great Creator was putting events and people into place, and for Him, it wasn’t a long time.

2 Peter 3:8–9

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

So, what happens to women who want birth control by aborting an unborn baby? 

They can continue to do this.

Abortion issues now return to the states.  Each state will adopt legislation regarding when and if a legal abortion can occur.  Some states currently permit legal abortion up to full term pregnancy—even to the instant of delivery. Other states allow abortion up to the first trimester.

If a female wants an abortion, she can have one, but she might need to travel to another state. If she can’t afford it, that’s no problem. New York is considering offering to pay travel and expenses for a woman to travel to their state to abort their baby. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2021/attorney-general-james-calls-state-funding-provide-abortion-access-women

Some companies are also providing travel expense for employees to have an abortion. https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-lobbying/3535965-these-companies-will-cover-abortion-travel-costs-for-employees/

Since this is the case, women can have abortion on demand within the United States, what is the big deal? No one took that ability away.  The Supreme Court merely said abortion is not in the US Constitution. The Court sent it back to the states for the people to decided. The populous can vote in each state the limits of abortion. Abortion is not in a document, but in the hands people.

Here's the link to my Bible Study. I hope you'll watch.

Second Baptist Rosenberg

 

 

 

 

 

Bling, Bling, and More Bling

 

I love bling!

I probably wear too much of it. Understated is better, but I love bling.

The first time I ever heard the word, bling, I wondered what it meant, so I did what people do. I Googled it.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, it means, "expensive, ostentatious clothing and jewelry or the wearing of them."

I wear bling, and although I have one or two nice pieces, for the most part, my bling is costume jewelry, and inexpensive jewelry works as ostentatious, too.

Bling is accessories for the overall appearance. Trappings complete a look.

I once heard a fashion expert say years ago, "Before you walk out the door, make sure you have on fourteen things."

Now she made this statement back in the day when ladies wore more clothing.  The fourteen items might go like this.

1. Bra

2. Panties

3. Petticoat

4. Pantyhose

5. dress

6. Shoes

7. Watch

8. Necklace

9. Bracelet

10. Rings

11. More rings (or wedding rings if married)

12. Belt

13. Hair clamp, or hat

14. Earrings

Times have changed since she offered this advice. Pantyhose are antiquated for most ladies, and there are a few who burned their bra and no longer wear one.

So today, perhaps ten items might accomplish the completed look.  Eliminate the first four items on the above list if you prefer less undergarments.

I've also eliminated belts.

For dressy occasions, I usually wear 12 to 14 items. I wear accessories in three's. Three bracelets on one arm, a watch and two bracelets of the other. I love big, blingy earrings, and I've been known to wear three necklaces in various lengths.

Pantyhose are definitely not for me.

In my first book, Sarah: A Mission of Love, the precocious child, Hope, tells her mom's date all about bling. Here's an excerpt.

Hope answered his knock on the door and Tom greeted the little girl with a smile. “Hello, young lady. You look dazzling in your purple outfit.”

“Thank you. It’s new. We went to Deal-Mart.” The youngster pirouetted to show off her matching pants and sweater. “Purple is my favorite color, and I like the beads on the top.” Hope pointed to her neckline and the sweater pocket. “I’ve got bling.”

“And what is bling?”

Hope put her hands on her hips and glared. “Mr. Tom, don’t you know anything? Bling means my sparkly diamonds on my clothes!”

"Are they real?"

Hope blew out a big breath and looked at Tom as if he'd grown horns. "No, Mr. Tom. Mom says I'm too young to wear real ones."

Sarah is a dyslexic angel who want to help Tom, Marcy, and Hope, but boy!  Does she make a mess.  This book is light, entertaining, and heartwarming. I hope you'll read it.

Amazon

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Aging Backwards

 

Babies are beautiful, aren't they? All parents and extended family members feel the rush of love when a newborn comes into the household.

Babies depend upon us for food, clothing, and shelter. They are helpless and innocent and totally incapable of providing for themselves. As they grow, among the first of things they learn is eating. We hand them a cracker or place Cheerios on their tray. They are happy when their little dexterous fingers can pick up such food items. These small bites go into their mouths, and soon, even non-foods go there too.

They learn to sit up, crawl, and then toddle as they walk.  With each new achievement, they grow a bit more independent.

Folks with Dementia or Alzheimer's age backwards. They lose independence a little at a time. When we compare them on a day-to-day basis, not much can be seen as a change, but when we looks back over six months, we sees a major transformation.

These adults reach a stage where they are infants again. They can't sit up, walk, or use the toilet. Like a newborn, they wear diapers and sleep a lot. They can't feed themselves, They become like babies.

Like an infant, our daughter must be fed now.

Her walk has become a slow shuffle. She stumbled last Saturday, May 14, 2022, and fell face down. We went to see her, and I took a picture. I always document everything. She was in good spirits, and the nurse thought she was okay. The nurse said she'd get in touch with the doctor for an X-ray.

When I went on Monday to visit her, I asked what the X-ray showed.  Uh-oh!  It hadn't been done, but they would get to it right away.

The facility called late Monday night. The EMS had been called, and our little one was being rushed to the ER. The X-ray wasn't done until late Monday, and it showed a small nose fracture. The doctor wanted a CT scan.

Facilities aren't always on top of things.  Even when I stay on them, they mess up. If the X-ray had been done earlier, there would have been no need to rush to a trauma unit.

We were in the hospital for three days. The medical teams, with my help, discovered she couldn't answer their questions. She doesn't know her birthdate, and she didn't know where she was. Most of the time, when asked her name, she responded with only her first name. The PT team had difficulty getting her up, and walking was not possible. I'm hoping the disorientation caused by a hospital visit will fade, and she can return to walking, even in a slow shuffle.  Hospital stays are hard on dementia patients. 

Several medics commented on her skin and how young she looks. She had a few wrinkles once, but like some of her abilities, they seemed to have disappeared.

She's aging backwards.

By-the-way, the beautiful baby pictured at the top of this blog is her new grandbaby. She doesn't know the new tiny goodness. 

They are both sweet babies.

Storms

 We face storms, don't we? 

They come from the heavens with thunder and lightening, but hurricanes and tornadoes also bombard us in life. We call them by different names: financial ruin, divorce, cancer. loss of loved ones, loneliness.

Some of these tempests from the sky are real.  Many cause destruction. A few are short-lived and gone, while personal storms can last a lifetime.

We flew to Tulsa this past week. The plane was delayed for five hours due to bad weather. Oklahoma is famous for tornadoes, and these scary things lurked in and about the area.

Once we took off, the pilot told us we would fly above the clouds.

As I gazed out the window, the  clouds didn't look so terrifying.  Turbulence came to us a few times, but a glimpse of sun and blue sky appeared also. And then it would disappear, but a break was a welcome sight.

The seatbelt sign stayed on. We bounced around, and it seemed we were on a roller coaster. Most of us passengers were frequent flyers, and the the turbulence was old hat to us. Nevertheless, I prayed for a safe journey.

We arrived in time for the funeral.

Saying goodbye and celebrating a life well lived is a storm. Although the brutal force of the cloud is short-lived, grief and sadness lasts longer.

God allows storms in nature, and to us in our personal lives. These storms come and go. When you are faced with one of nature or personally, ask the Lord to calm it. He's experienced. He's done it before.

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" (Matthew 8:23-27)

Gay N. Lewis on Amazon

Another Blog

 

Holding Shelley's hand

I've started a new blog.

 

I focus on early onset dementia from a mother's perspective.  

https://dementiadaybyday.blogspot.com/

Most of the time, children take care of parents who've grown older. Parents who face the challenges of Alzheimer's or Dementia.

Shelley and I are the odd ones out.

When I check into the community where she lives, if the receptionist doesn't know me, she'll ask, "Are you her daughter or her sister?"

The mouth drops open when I say, "I'm her mom."

I go often, and most of the people know me, but there are usually new aides or office personnel to meet. Memory care facilities seem to have a large turnover. Shelley has been in the current facility since 2020, and we are on the third management team.

I'm pleased two of the aides reman. If not for these two people, I might move her.

One of the aides saved her life when she was attacked. You can read about it under the "Dealing with Dementia" tab on this blog.  Shelley lights up when this person is nearby. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of her brain, she remembers and appreciates the aide saving her life.

Today was a good day for her. She was up walking the hallways when her dad and I went to see her. She could almost remember things I spoke about.  

I don't say, "Do you remember...." I talk about past events or people. When I told her Don (her deceased husband) was in heaven with Jesus having a good time. He was singing, playing the guitar, and laughing..  She responded, "I want to go be with him."  I told her she would go there one day, but today, we were going to sing in her room. We then sang her favorite song. "You Are My Sunshine." And yes, she sang the words on key!

Shelley and Dad.

A good day. 

She told us over and over,

"I love you."

A very good day.

I invite you to follow my new blog.

DementiaDaybyDay

Proper Burial Attire

 

Her mother loved it! The color orange, that is.  My Atlanta friend’s mom had designated a certain dress as her burial attire, but she decided, instead, that it would look pretty on her sister. So, when her sister died, the attire went to her. My friend’s mom than determined she wanted to be buried in an orange blouse with light-colored slacks. During one of their shopping trips, while she was in good health, she found the prefect orange blouse. It became her designated burial attire.  She kept in in her closet and wouldn’t wear it because she was saving it. My friend and her mom often joked about saving the blouse.  After her mom got sick and bedridden, my friend was horrified to walk into her room one day to find her dressed in the burial shirt! After that, my friend kept it, along with the off-white burial slacks in her care so they would stay safe—to be ready when the time came.

One day she visited her mom, and the mom said, “Go get my funeral shirt. I need to get dressed. I have a funeral to go to, and I need to be ready at 2:00! When my friend asked, Whose funeral?” Her answer came quickly. “Mine.”

Before she went to Glory, she had a week of clarity. Her mom reiterated again the shirt was for her burial.  She wanted to make sure she was buried in that shirt.  She was!

A Houston friend has a sister in Austin. The Austin sister asked her Houston sister, “Are you coming?”  My friend asked, “Where?”  Her sister replied, “To my funeral, of course. It’s today at 2:00. I have on my pink dress.”  The Austin sister wasn’t sick, but one must wonder if dementia was becoming part of her life.

The two o’clock hour must be a popular time for funerals. Both of these ladies wanted their service at 2:00.

When my daughter’s mother-in-law died, my daughter cleaned out her mother-in-law’s apartment. The many bags for Goodwill were stacking up, and I suggested to my daughter that she save a garment for the burial. My daughter replied, “Oh, that’s okay. It will be a closed casket.”  I replied, “She still needs clothes!”

Can you imagine being buried like Eve before she and Adam invented fig leaves?

My mom wanted to be buried in a negligee. She refused suggestions of a dress. She loved beautiful, sexy nightwear. When she passed unexpectedly, her skimpy nightdresses were not suitable. My sister and I went to Macy’s to find a negligee. Nothing was appropriate. At the funeral home, the director told us, “We have them. A lot of ladies want beautiful negligees so they can be comfortable in their final resting place.”  We bought a purple negligée from the funeral home and buried her in it. Purple was her favorite color.

When a friend of mine left this earth at age 94, her grandson found a box under her bed. The note read, “For my funeral.” It was a beautiful, pink chiffon dress she’d worn once—on her 50^th wedding anniversary.

Have you decided what you will wear in your final resting place? Or what kind of apparatus will be in the plot?

I read about a man in Pennsylvania who wanted his ashes buried in his white Corvette. He bought twelve burial plots to house him and his car. After a lot of negotiation, the man and car with 27,000 miles on the odometer were buried in a private ceremony.

In I Thessalonians, chapter 4, we are told the dead in Christ rise first, and then the rest of us will go up after them. Our bodies will be reunited with our spirits.

Now I don’t believe we will go through eternity wearing orange shirts or purple negligees, but whatever we have on in the casket may be seen as we go up to Glory. At some point in eternity, Christians will be clothed in eternal righteousness. Revelation 7:9, ESV says, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”

Easter is the most important day in Christendom. Jesus was buried in someone else’s clothes. Strips of cloth, actually. He didn’t choose the attire, but he chose death and the shedding of His blood as a means to bring salvation to sinners.

He stayed dead three days, and then God raised Him from the dead.

It doesn’t matter what we wear to the casket, but it matters what we believe in the here and now. We are all sinners, but to be clothed appropriately in eternity, we must confess and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 NIV.

Have a blessed Easter!

Family Secrets on Sale Now!

 

My book, Family Secrets, in the eBook format, will be on sale on Amazon for .99 on April 15-20.  If you haven’t read this historical book, now is a good time to download a copy for your eReader.  Here’s a blurb:

Dallas, Texas, 1975. A dark time in history but also a time of change. Although civil rights were revolutionizing, racial prejudice still existed.

Rebecca Davis, a nurse, hasn’t seen family in fifteen years. They hid secrets from her, and she won’t forgive them. Ever.

Two single men and an adorable child enter her life. She falls in love with all three. If she could marry, which man would she choose? The one with the delightful daughter? No matter, those secrets forbid love for her.

Everyone has secrets, right? We keep them because they are sleazy and might hurt someone if they knew. When is a secret worth sharing? When should they come to light and free us?

 

Family Secrets

A Chapter from My Work-in-Progress

 

I thought you might like to read an excerpt from a book I'm working on.  It doesn't have a title yet.  If you suggest a title, and I use it, I'll give you credit.

Let me know what you think!

Eye-popping beauty. He couldn’t remember a female more stunning.

David Worth stared spellbound at the woman. He couldn’t help it. She might be a mirage and disappear if he turned his head. Like da Vinci’s masterpiece on canvas, The Mona Lisa, beauty like hers should be appreciated and admired. Shameless gaping was ill-mannered, sure, he knew that, but he couldn’t stop what some might call his awestruck gaze. And of course, it was rude, but he didn’t care. He had to look at her. Despite the sad expression she wore, the spectacular woman’s face and body was beyond words. His words at the moment, and he got paid to talk. He walked toward her from the opposite, far side of the hospital corridor. Even though courtesy dictated he avert his gawk, he refused to take his eyes off this magnificent creature.

As a trained physician, he detected she was troubled. What did the lady have on her mind? Her contemplation focused on some unseen thing beyond him. Perhaps she gazed at art on a wall behind him, but he guessed she was wrapped up with images playing in her head. From the looks of her forlorn expression, the beautiful creature had suffered an unhappy morning. Why was she here in the hospital anyway? Visiting the sick? A loved one? Known for his observation skills, he noted her short jacket over a simple form-fitting black dress. Was she in mourning? He’d counseled enough people to recognize deep grief and pain. Perhaps someone close to her had died. Determined to bring hope to her hearting heart, he halted three feet in front of her. With her thoughts elsewhere, she almost ran smack-dab into him. She stopped in time and raised her head. Blinking several times as if to clear her vision, she seemed at long last to notice him.

Even with heels, she was five inches shorter than him. He smiled down at her. “Good morning!” His tone sounded tender and intimate, even to his own ears.

The woman widened her eyes and blinked again. “Good morning.” Her voice indicated confusion as she appeared to search her memory for his name.

Furrowing her brow as if she couldn’t think of anything else to say to this stranger blocking her path, she side-stepped and moved past him.

David watched her leave. As she reached the exit, she turned to look back at him.

He smiled and nodded to her.

She shrugged as if to say, “You spoke as if you know me, but I can’t place you. Sorry.”

David gave a little finger wave and broadened his smile.

Returning the traditional goodbye hand gesture, she turned and left the hallway with a hurried gait.

Feeling as though the sun had gone from the room, David made his way to the conference chamber. He greeted several doctors he knew and introduced himself to others before he made his way to the dais with the woman on his mind.

Gay N. Lewis on Amazon