Second Summer

I am in the midst of a second summer in my life.  This may sound odd, considering I am only thirty, but not odd for those who know my life journey.  It is an amazing thing to have gone from loitering in the valley of the shadow of death (quite comfortably, I might add) to being filled up with the kind of love that spills over into smiles while I am walking through the grocery store and sighs of satisfaction as I stumble through my morning routine.  I am blessed.  I have always known this, even when my life seemed like an endless [wait and weight] that I had to bear.  I have known this because of the grace of God and His ability to let me feel the prayers that were raised all around me, like a million balloons pulling me up string by string back into the world of the living.
Father's day was wonderful this year.  It is the first real father's day for Ray, and the first real father's day for Gloria.  Of course I think of Kevin, but instead of just feeling sad about the loss of his presence, I actually feel his love surrounding us more than ever before.  It sounds cheesy and cliche to say Kevin had a hand in bringing Ray into our lives.  I guess, more than ever, I am aware of my own inability to guess at the master workings of the universe.  I know that I feel so grateful to God for all that I have, for each day that I get, for having Gloria in her own right, as well as a reflection of the love between Kevin and me, for my other half, my Ray of Sunshine, and most of all, I am grateful to God for knowing what is right for me beyond anything I can ever comprehend.  Life is new to me, love is fresh and wonderful, and yes, God is indeed Good.