Where have I been? Truthfully, I’ve been right here, but
unable to write it all down. Oh where to begin…
On September 18th I received a call from my
mom that my dad had a massive stroke and was in the hospital. I flew home that
night (to WA state.) I spent the next two weeks in hospital rooms and then a
hospice facility, waiting for the inevitable and getting to know my family
better than ever before. My dad would have loved all the attention. In the end,
he took his last breath surrounded by family, his bride of 65 years, my mom, by
his side. It was truly a peaceful and beautiful moment. As she says, “it was a
good death…”
Then I spent the next week trying to help my mom begin
this new life, which meant a lot of paperwork. And a lot of phone calls. So
much confusion and anxiety for her. I did my best to help, but truthfully, I
didn’t know all that needed to be done. But, she got through it.
When I returned to my home, I panicked a little. My mom
spent most of her life as a homemaker, so her income always depended on my
dad’s. And, she went through a little rigmarole to get things straightened out.
She also took a huge cut regarding income. I started freaking out about what
would happen to me if something happened to my husband. And luckily a friend
had an entry level, full-time position
open. I took it, eager to go back into the working world! About 2-weeks in, my
panic turned to exhaustion as I tried to juggle everything I did as a homemaker
and now a full-time employee. I failed miserably. I yelled a lot. My husband
took on so much that he was exhausted. And finally I asked my family how they
felt about this new life. They were miserable too. My son said, “I liked it
better when you didn’t yell.” Six weeks into the job, I quit. I’ll figure the
rest out later.
I started the New Year with a plan to get my mind, body,
and spirit in order. I started eating healthier and exercising – running,
slowly, but running nonetheless – and I feel better! My mom came to visit for a
month. Testing the waters to see if she’d like to move down here. She liked it.
More on that later. But, while she was here, her home was broken into. Only
four months after her husband dies, her home of 30 years has been violated. And
once again, she has to get paperwork in order. Accounts are frozen, she has to
deal with an insurance company. She has proven to me that she’s the strongest
woman I know. I only hope to be half the woman she is when I grow up.
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| Ready for Spring |
And there we have it. It’s kind of funny that I put it all into one
blog post. I’m ready for spring. It’s so very close…
Peace, Love, and Chocolate
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