My life has been filled with some deep griefs in recent years. As a family we are walking through an intensely difficult time right now. It is hard for us to plan anything and often we aren’t able to do things that we used to take for granted.

So when it came to my husband’s recent 50th birthday I was concerned whether we would be able to celebrate it well. Although, in all honesty, I felt too exhausted to try and do more than get through each day. The idea of organising anything that might need to be cancelled filled me with dread.

Then we decided to utilise a voucher some friends had given us to do something for just the two of us. We downed tools very early one day, and went out for a slap-up brunch while the kids were at school. While it was stressful to get out, we were so pleased we had made the effort.

LEARNING HOW TO REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE WELL

The arrangements then kept falling into place. We were blessed to be able to see friends as well as family to celebrate my husband and what he means to us all. It truly was a special time for him. However, it was constantly punctuated with the sadness of life’s obstacles yet to be overcome.

As we were in the midst of our busy weekend, I kept being reminded of the Israelites in the wilderness. While God provided for their needs their day-to-day experiences must have been tough. A nomadic lifestyle, no modern-day facilities or medicines, and having to bury their dead before moving on… What harsh realities they must have faced. And yet God taught them the importance of remembering and celebrating through the many festival days that were a part of the law shared with Moses on Mt Sinai.

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