Life Is What Happens June 23, 2012
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness.comments closed
I’m home . . . but probably not for long.
We did the best we could in the time allotted, but my parents have more to cope with than their combined coping skills can manage at the moment.
Things are, to put it bluntly, a mixed up muddled up mess . . .
For much of the week, the ground beneath our feet felt like shifting sands as the focus of our efforts and priorities changed with the rapidity of a strobe light in a 70’s Disco:
* Dad started the week at Sunrise, an assisted living facility; he ended it in the hospital ~ non-responsive since last Monday when admitted for evaluation.
* We took mom to a spine specialist and learned she has two compression fractures of the spine. Surgery is recommended. Understandably, she wants to see what happens with dad before making a decision.
* My sister’s puppy, Chess, started limping after stepping on an unidentified object during a walk and had to be taken to the vet. She recovered.
* My sister-in-law got broadsided on Broad Street after visiting dad in the hospital. Her minivan had to be towed from the scene. Thankfully, she did not.
* Et cetera.
Despite the bass tones, we found things to celebrate in the midst of the mess.
* A Father’s Day barbecue at Sunrise:
* A Gathering of the Clans at my older brother’s home:
Where we all enjoyed a cookout . . .
And chocolate wine which smoothed the edges a bit . . .
I must confess, the arduous adventures of the week caused me to feel a bit discombobulated . . . as if my head had taken a vacation, leaving the rest of me to fend for myself:
The trip ended on a high note. After 18-hours on the road and a short night’s sleep at my sister’s, I met up with BFF and his sister’s family for fun in the sun:
And lunch . . . complete with indoor thunderstorms at the Rainforest Cafe:
We ate, supervised and overseen by trumpeting elephants and funny frogs:
Who kept their eyes on what and how we ate to see if we cleaned our plate:
Life is full of twists and turns . . .
Ups and downs . . .
High notes and low notes . . .
Shared smiles and laughter makes the pain more palatable. Keep breathing.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Spirit Lights The Way 