every now and then…

Every now and then a good day, and some luck, comes our way. It wasn’t too hot or too sunny today. Tom ‘husbands’ his strength well. In preparation for painting en plein air this morning he physically did almost nothing the last two days. Though his muscles are now depleted of energy after the effort he was able to stand while painting this morning.

The last two photographs informed this painting. They could be taped together. The sky was split. The one of Tom while painting I took at the end just before he called it a day. The sky had changed up and the light was filtering down beautifully.

It’s important to add to this little piece that the fact that Tom can still stand is not a measure of God’s love for him or the level of care he receives. ALS is a bastard of a disease. It is a roll of the DNA dice how it manifests itself in someone. Some people have a fast, make your head spin, progression and a few are slower in progression like Tom, most are somewhere in the middle. The fact that Tom can still stand does not in anyway indicate how difficult the wasting is on his body – it’s exhausting. The truth of it is no one can control ALS.

What we can control is how we choose to live with the hand that is dealt to us. In this I follow Tom’s lead. He is the master of courageously facing this enemy day in, and day out. He relies on his faith to get him to get through. Intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually, he doesn’t give in, and he doesn’t give up.

#EndALS

#VeteransWithALS