Count your Blessings

I just want to share that Jerry felt blessed in all circumstances.  I think this is his legacy, and I hope it will inspire you to count your blessings and give God the Glory.

BLESSED

When Jerry was sick, he acknowledged God as the One,

He was grateful for his life: “God’s will be done”,

“I am a blessed man”, he would say,

“I feel blessed in every way”,

If his legacy I could write,

I’d say he didn’t give up without a fight,

But fighting and acceptance for him went hand-in-hand,

His faith was deep and his courage was grand,

He did not get mad at God, or even ask why,

He didn’t feel sorry for himself nor did he cry,

He was a valiant warrior in his battle with cancer,

But he knew that only God held the right answer,

He said God wanted him to slow down and rest,

He did just that and that time was the best,

To spend time with his family was his greatest treasure,

A gift we had that was beautiful beyond measure,

In only 9 months he was gone from us here,

But without reservation, I know he is near,

I know he is in a better place according to God’s will,

I feel his presence sometimes when I’m very still,

I will never forget the inspiration he gave,

Because he was so incredibly brave.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to all of you in 2019.

Tammy Harvey

Courage Beyond Measure

Eat, Sleep, Fight Brain Cancer, Repeat

   

September 24, 2017- a life changing day,

Confusion and disorientation increased in a startling way,

Memory loss too, became a big concern,

A trip to the ER was necessary, to see what they’d discern,

One year ago, today, the diagnosis was made clear,

Early onset Alzheimer’s had been our worse fear,

But a cancerous brain tumor, considered terminal, was the finding,

It was like a tightly coiled spring quickly unwinding,

We weren’t prepared for it, but the prognosis was revealed,

We were willing to fight though; our fate was not sealed,

The next nine months after that day seems like a blur,

My otherwise healthy husband?  How could this occur?

The determination to survive was top priority,

We took our treatment plan from the top-notch authority,

Surgery was performed by the best brain surgeon on the east coast,

My husband was proud of that fact and would often times boast,

Radiation and chemotherapy, courage and hope,

We hung on tightly, even at the end of our rope,

The conventional treatment was not successful,

But my husband stayed incredibly peaceful,

He did not give up, but with all the strength he could muster,

Believed in God’s will, even though it was lack luster,

How does one react when given 3-6 months to live?

When time is running out, like sand in a broken sieve?

With grace, received from God, and faith in eternity,

He showed us all how to die with honor and dignity.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  9/27/18, one year from diagnosis, in remembrance of 9/24/2017

A Heavenly Perspective

Gone Too Soon

When people die young, how do we rationalize in our mind?

Stillborn babies and terminal toddlers:  their fate seems so unkind,

Even teenagers, not realizing their fragile mortality,

Recklessly contribute to their own fatality,

Death is a part of life; It is reality,

Without regard to personal spirituality,

When people die old, it is far more acceptable,

A long life lived; no one is skeptical,

The world is fallen; The Garden of Eden is gone,

This does explain why things go wrong,

Tragedy happens to everyone, the bad and the “good”,

Do any of us live like we really, truly should?

Are there degrees of evil?  Aren’t we all at fault?

Our nature is sinful; it’s the Lord we must exalt,

He took the burden of sin away, as far as east is from the west,

He knows all of our hearts, and His plan is always best,

When people die young, I think they are called to a higher purpose,

That is the only justification I have for what lies beneath the surface,

God spares them the agony of earthly trials and tribulation,

He prepares a room for them with holy consideration,

Isn’t it a reward to be called to Heaven, and leave this world so fast?

I’d say it is, for the glory and awe of Heaven is forever unsurpassed,

Selfishly, we don’t want our loved ones gone too soon,

And everyone is vulnerable; No one is immune,

It is so hard to see the Heavenly perspective, the eternal Shalom,

This world is just a temporary dwelling; it is not our actual home,

All our days are numbered, and tomorrow is not promised,

But when people die young, it really hurts, if I’m being honest.

Tammy Harvey

Written: 9/26/2018

Those were the Days...

Sand Island

When I was young, Sand Island was a place our family loved to go,

On Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee, by houseboat we went, with a ski boat in tow,

It took us a full day and a half to get there by water from Ft. Loudon Lake,

We would go through the locks at the dam, an adventurous trek to make,

It was summertime, usually July, when we spent our vacation there,

It was hot and all day long our bathing suits we would wear,

Sand Island was a small island several miles from a distant shore,

We pitched a tent on the sandy beach, but wait, there’s so much more,

We beached the houseboat and secured the front of it to a tree,

Dropped an anchor off the back just for more stability,

Our family always went together with the Murphys, our good friends,

Sometimes we’d stay for 2 whole weeks, always sad when it would end,

Other people did the same, so the island was not totally ours,

But it was “our island” to us, and every night we’d have blazing campfires,

I always stayed in the tent with the Murphys, while my family bedded down in the boat,

We each had a cot and for a mattress we’d use our blow-up float,

I could take off on my own and safely explore the entire island,

I would start at our campsite and walk the whole thing single-handed,

We would gather driftwood during the day for our nightly fireside time,

And with a flashlight, look for frogs… we created our own paradigm,

The frogs were tiny and called peepers, no bigger than a penny,

And they were fun to catch and release, there were so very many,

While at Sand Island, all of us youngsters learned to water ski,

We’d each take turns getting chances to try, before riding a board on our knees,

The sun was scorching, we’d get a good tan, sometimes a good burn,

But with so much fun in the sun, it was a hard lesson to learn,

I fondly think of Sand Island now, and would like to return sometime,

I’d like to take my grandchildren, pitch a tent and make our own paradigm.

Tammy Harvey   written: 1/31/2018

When All Else Fails

I should take a page from my own playbook and treat myself to a long, soaking hot bath.  Lord knows I need to relax.

You are in Hot Water (literally)

Relax your body and rest your mind,

Refresh your soul with solitude and peace you will find,

There are many ways to do this, but one I might suggest,

It helps me quite a lot when I’m feeling really stressed,

Fill the bathtub with water as hot as you can stand,

Test the temperature regularly with the back side of your hand,

Add your favorite liquid soap, and watch the bubbles grow,

Light lots of aromatic candles and enjoy the flames that glow,

Turn the lights off and step into the luxurious spa created,

For it is the end of a long day’s work, and you should be elated,

Let the water slowly soothe your tired legs and aching back,

Close your eyes and relish the darkness; it is almost totally black,

The candles’ scent gives your nose a whiff of fragrant perfume,

It is relaxing and restoring, there is silence in the room,

Fairly soon the water cools, and the soft, warm bed awaits,

Except for a therapeutic massage, nothing truly equates,

Take time to smell the roses and give yourself a treat,

It is amazing how a simple bath can cure your weary feet,

Now your muscles are relaxed, and you are drifting into sleep,

May all your dreams be sweet, until the annoying alarm goes beep,

Another day is dawning, and you are ready for an eventful day,

But if you had the choice to make, a hot bath is where you’d stay!

Tammy Harvey

Written: 9/28/18

Thinking of You

It was Thanksgiving Day of last year that Jerry decided to post his illness on Facebook.  He thought it an appropriate time to let others know.  

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Tree Memorial

A tree planted in memory of you,

What a thoughtful and caring thing to do,

My friends asked me what tree you liked best,

A pink dogwood, I said, you liked more than the rest,

They purchased a beautiful little pink dogwood tree,

And gave it lovingly to me,

It is planted in the backyard, and I already know,

The joy it will bring us as we watch it grow,

Together we put down roots and grew a family tree,

You and me, with our boys of three,

As the pink blooms open up in the middle of spring,

I will smile, think of you…what happiness it will bring!

A tree planted in memory of you,

What a thoughtful and caring thing to do.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  11/14/2018

Joy in your Heart

Don’t Miss the Joy

Is it me? Or does Christmas merchandising begin earlier and earlier every year?

Do they think we will forget to buy something?  Is that their fear?

I mean, the merchants skip over Thanksgiving like it doesn’t exist,

Why decorate the stores for Christmas in October?  Be patient! I insist!

Why not give each holiday it’s due?

Thanksgiving Day is important too,

We pause to give thanks for all of our blessings, and there are many,

We should do that every day because we have plenty,

Plenty, however, is never enough,

We have to go out and buy more stuff,

Christmas has lost it’s true meaning I fear,

Let’s put Christ back into Christmas this year,

It is a celebration of his birth after all,

It is not about presents or trips to the mall,

But we stress and we shop and we wrap and we hurry,

We take all the joy out of giving, but don’t worry,

It’s not too late to make a change,

Celebrate simply and simply celebrate may sound strange,

But simplicity is the key, I think,

For Christmas comes and goes away in a blink,

Enjoy the holidays with joy in your heart,

And don’t fret about what’s in your shopping cart!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  11/5/2018