These past 5 and a half weeks have not been easy, and I actually don’t think the reality has fully set in yet.  The first few weeks I stayed so busy and went to bed exhausted, so I was able to sleep at night and stay focused each day on the “next most important thing” that I needed to do.  The last ten days have been more difficult, as my thoughts and activities focused more on Christmas and family…..making Greg’s absence more painful and real.  I have found myself crying more lately, but fortunately my teary moments don’t last long and then I am okay again.  Though I prefer to shed tears privately, I haven’t yet learned how to stop them when they suddenly appear, so please understand if you see me when I am experiencing a brief moment of sadness.  Warning: I tend to get emotional when people express their love and concern, so you might want to avoid being nice to me for a while. ;)

I spent 8 days celebrating Christmas with Nora’s family in McKinney, which was wonderful, and then today I enjoyed time with Kevin’s family as well as Greg’s mom and Tinna’s family (who made a last minute decision to spend Christmas week in Galveston). Nothing like time with loved ones, especially precious grandchildren, to turn our thoughts to the joy and blessings in our lives! Time with the grands was definitely limited this past year, so I am looking forward to spending time with them on a more regular basis in the weeks and months ahead. 

Many friends have been great about checking on me and letting me know I remain in their thoughts and prayers, which is such a blessing as I try to adjust to this “new normal.”  Thank you so much for your continued support! I have realized that spending time with the Lord each morning and listening to praise music throughout the day really does help me to focus on all that is right and good in my life instead of what (who!) is now missing.  It really is a moment-by-moment decision to Choose Joy and to Be Grateful, and I am going to make that my goal.  

Several people have asked me if a video of Greg’s Celebration of Life Service is available, and I am happy to report that it can be found on You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N79Kmf29oeA&feature=youtu.be

It ran longer than we intended, which is ironic because Lucky was notorious for timing Sunday morning sermons and pointing out if the service ran over an hour!  But how do you celebrate God’s goodness and the life of a wonderful man in only 60 minutes??  Thank you to everyone who helped make that day so special for me and our entire family. If your schedule did not allow you to attend, I encourage you to watch and join us in thanking God for His faithfulness and the Life of Gregory “Lucky” Cox.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Psalm 34:18