6/1/25

I’m sitting in a chair in our Maryland home listening to the soft snoring of my oldest grandson (now five years old). He and his younger brother (age 3) spent the night with Nana and Poppy last night. The boys have grown accustomed to having us around more than usual with some recent life changes. Through a combination of life events we have become private Uber drivers for them and their family. We take them to and from daycare most days, shuttle them to medical appointments, and make sure they get to tee ball and soccer practices and games. I have been in Maryland for an entire month now without a return to Indiana. Gena flew home for a few days but for the most part, our primary residence and routines have been based here. And we are making the most of it. 

Most days are routine. We get up on a schedule, drive to their homes and take them to daycare. I will then work remotely for several hours and return to pick them up around 4:30 every day. We then come to our home and play in the basement. Gena prepares meals for them and then we either have dinner together with their Mom and Dad or run then home with a parental to-go collection of prepared food. Then, exhausted, we settle in for a while and recover (at times we both feel too old for this, but the joy powers us through).

Generally, weekends we have on our own and try to let our daughter and her husband have their own family time. Since it is tee ball season, Saturday mornings are spent (at least in part) at the tee ball field. This gives us the chance to either rest and recover or to explore. We have taken in a couple of baseball games (one at Nationals Park in DC and the other at Camden Yards in Baltimore).  I still love watching my St. Louis Cardinals. We try restaurants but tend to come back to Baia Coastal Italian as our staple. Recovery is an essential part of endurance, especially as you get older.

Having the opportunity to provide support for anyone (family or not) is missional. Our sovereign God has a plan for us far beyond anything we could dream. I struggle with wanting to plan and control but realize that anything I control is for MY plans and purposes, not God’s. Looking back, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to spend 2-3 hours a day with my grandsons. I did not foresee moving out of clinical medicine into a role that allowed us to support our daughter and her family as we do now.  That is all part of God’s plan for me. And it is beyond the best imagined plans I ever had. 

God put me here for a reason. I do not completely see it yet and definitely do not understand it. But I am beginning to comprehend more clearly. He is in control. I need to submit to that and enjoy the blessings he has given us, unquestioningly. He wants to bless me. All he asks of me is my faith that He has it all under control.