Hell of a Year
IT’S BEEN A HELL OF A YEAR…
Last summer, we gifted Olivia tickets to see Parker McCollum in Nashville for her 16th birthday. Minutes into the opening performer, the concert was postponed indefinitely due to lightning at the amphitheater. We were drenched from the torrential thunderstorm that we got stuck in evacuating the outdoor venue. And we hung out soaking wet for three hours in Downtown Nashville waiting to hear whether the concert would be canceled. Finally, at 10:10pm we received word the concert was on! We rushed back to the venue—on foot and still soaking wet—and got to see him for an abbreviated performance.
It seems our year since then has been one setback after another. Our Fall was filled with what seemed like one person sick right after another, culminating with four of the six of us in our house testing positive for the first time ever…over Christmas! Then, as you may know, two days after Christmas (and the lone family member still testing positive at the time), I fell nearly 7 feet over our retaining wall and broke my heel. A week later, I’d have surgery and embark on the next three months of not being able to stand or put weight on my left foot, much less walk. It would be nearly four months after the accident before I’d walk again for the first time. And while I am doing leaps and bounds better, I’m still not completely healed.
This year, for her 17th birthday, Opal and I decided to gift Olivia tickets to see Parker McCollum in concert…again. A redo, if you would. So, yesterday afternoon, we hopped over to South Carolina—just the three of us—grabbed dinner, and saw Parker perform the most amazing concert under the stars!
As soon as the lyrics, “It’s been a hell of a year,” escaped Parker McCollum’s lips, Opal affirmed that it has, indeed, been one heck of a year for us, dating back to us trying to see him last summer. And although this year has been one for the books, we are grateful for nights like last night. We are grateful for the close bond we have with each and every one of our children. We are grateful to excitedly share in their passions and interests. We are grateful we stopped collecting things and started collecting memories in the form of “Birthday Do-Whatevers.” We are grateful for the life we gave up that allows us to now fully embrace the life we now live. But most of all, we are grateful for the TIME! Like the time we had last night to spend with no one but Olivia making lasting memories that we’ll all cherish for the rest of our lives!
