Seize The Day…

Today has been very productive. When I woke up this morning I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through the day – it just seemed so overwhelming to look at everything I had to do in such a short period of time – but here I am at the end of it, and all is well. I am weary, but I am content. The big challenge of the day went well, and I managed to get the pieces written that I needed to do, plus I was able to see my hospice patients (though they were sleeping). Of course, there is housework that needs to be done, but that is never-ending and it will be there tomorrow.  It can wait.

It’s funny — the biggest challenge of my day ended up being the part of the day that went the smoothest. While I wasn’t necessarily worried about how it would go, I was really hoping it would go well, and I’m quite pleased with the way things turned out. Nothing really changes right now, but there could be some interesting open doors to walk through in the future. God’s will be done… He still writes straight with crooked lines…

In order to fit everything in my day today, I actually rearranged my hospice visiting schedule for this week. I wanted to try going earlier in the day anyway because I was hoping that one of my patients who has been sleeping the last two times I’ve been by would be awake. I figured if I caught her an hour before I normally see my other patient, then I could meet with him at our normal time. Unfortunately, my plan totally backfired. When I arrived not only was she sleeping, (my guitar actually accidentally banged against the wall and it didn’t wake her), but when I left her and ended up going to see my other patient early — he was sleeping too! It was disappointing — next week I will just go back to my normal visiting schedule – sometimes things just don’t go as planned…

Sitting at the end of this busy day, curled up in my pajamas (pajamafied as we say), and resting in the heat of my stove, I am at peace. I can look back over this day and see that I faced it well — everything that needed to be done was accomplished — I “seized the day”…  (see above video the sound track of my day). :) Tomorrow will have it’s own challenges to face. I have my hospice volunteer meeting in the morning… that’s always a time of encouragement and deep connections. I know I will be tired still from today, but it will be worth it to push through and see everyone. This coming week we’ll have our fall retreat – all the employees and volunteers together – which I’ve been looking forward to for months. It will be a blessing to touch base with everyone at Signature and have some time for introspection amidst everything that has been going on in life lately.

So tonight, while I have very little brain left for deep thoughts or meaningful words, I am grateful for making it through this crazy busy day… My body is weary, but I am at peace…

I am grateful…

1. hot showers…
2. peanut butter toast…
3. celebratory mochas…
4. my hubby driving…
5. doing physical therapy exercises with The Philosopher…
6. listening to The Professor practice his recital piece…
7. fall leaves under old trees…
8. squirrels scurrying…
9. plaid pajamas…
10. meeting new people and sharing smiles…

It’s all Grace…

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“Do Not Worry…”

I have a surprisingly busy day tomorrow. When I started this week out, I knew it was going to be a hectic one — each boy had a doctor appointment or a physical therapy appointment, plus I had one as well. My sisters both had appointments this week too, and I was glad I could be there for emotional support — no one likes going into stressful situations alone. So, I knew as the week began that it was going to be long and busy — but a couple days ago I received an email that really surprised me, and now as the week is coming to an end I’m finding myself faced with a bit more of a “challenge” than I expected when the week began.

Whatever happens tomorrow afternoon, at least I’ll be going to do my hospice visits in the late morning — that will keep me grounded throughout the rest of the day. Sitting with my patients always reminds me of what is important, and my everyday stressors are put into proper perspective. Life really is a beautiful gift, and the opportunities and people that cross our paths all provide us more than we realize… our moments all have meaning if we can really see them. Listening to my patients, I learn about life… not just their lives, but mine as well.  Our human experiences all overlap — we’re riding this globe around the sun just trying to make sense of everything we encounter — and the more we can listen to each other, the more we can understand this whole human existence that we’re sharing…

Life changes in the blink of an eye… blessings and disasters… joys and sorrows… our humanity is subject to constant adaptation on a daily basis — and in order to maintain a semblance of peace in the midst of this constant change, we have to take things one moment at a time. There’s no sense worrying about tomorrow — even if it’s a natural response to the unknown. Worry doesn’t change anything… even if you use it to prepare for every future possibility you can imagine, there’s just as likely a chance that what actually happens is something you wouldn’t have dreamed of in a thousand years.

That’s why Jesus says, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

A split second can alter everything… a phone call, a moment of clarity, a single decision… We are human, and that means we are susceptible to whatever life throws our way. But then… :) we are human, and that means being unbelievably stronger than we realize until we are faced with a need. Being human holds this paradox and lives it — in ways we often take for granted. Sometimes we live it without even realizing it. Listening to each other — sharing our struggles and our blessings in the present moment and in memory — this is how we grow together… how we learn to simply be together… We cannot learn to be fully human without learning from each other.

Tomorrow, I will go visit my patients, and I will be reminded all over again what is important as we ride this spinning globe together…

I am so grateful…

1. Pat-me stretched out in front of the fire… totally trusting, totally at peace…
2. Dr. Thom — so thankful for his help…
3. Dinner at the pub with my hubby…
4. Snuggles from my baby nephew — so in love with his smile…
5. Riding in the rain with my sister — so thankful she’s mine…
6. Gluten-free macaroni noodles (okay, the entire bag split open and noodles covered my entire kitchen floor today, but I’m thankful we had another bag so I could make the boys mac and cheese with hotdogs for lunch)… :)
7. Warm robes and hot coffee on a crisp fall morning…
8. Mama hugs… so, so thankful for my mama…
9. Pep talk from Papa Bear for tomorrow afternoon…
10. Trusting that what is supposed to be… will be…

It’s all Grace…

 

Sharing Stories…

It’s been a full day. Lately it’s been a bit complicated balancing everyone’s doctor appointments and then the rest of life as well. I finally went to an appointment for myself today, which ended up taking significantly longer than planned, but hopefully the bloodwork will give us some good information when the results get in — I made it home just in time for us all to go out for the big family evening we’ve had planned for quite awhile.

We had a meal together and then went to see The Princess Bride in the theater. Such a great experience! Not just to see one of the best movies ever on the big screen, but also to be in a theater full of people enjoying it just as much as we were! So much fun! All of us were quoting it and laughing together at all the same points… it was one of those evenings where all seems right with the world, and you feel like everything is going to be okay.

An entire room full of strangers laughing together is just a magical thing… it is a unique way to get a glimpse of the unity of our humanity. Sharing stories together in any form reveals just how much common ground we all have — the magic of Story is something we can all relate to at a very basic level — and I found myself leaving the theater with a renewed sense of hope, not just because the movie has such a happy ending, but because I had been wrapped in that atmosphere for so long.

I had planned to write a bit more this evening, but time has run short, so I need to end earlier than I normally would… but I’m thankful I found a few minutes to pop in here and share my day.

So grateful for it all…

1. getting back in to see Laura Bartko NMNP…
2. a phlebotomist named Charms…
3. 4 tubes 1 stick — no problem…
4. an unexpected interview on Friday…
5. gluten free pizza…
6. sunflower seeds…
7. my mom helping set up my writing office…
8. my baby nephew cruising along furniture…
9. laughing with a theater full of people…
10. The brilliance of The Princess Bride and William Goldman…

It’s all Grace…