Support System

This morning my sister is on her way to Florida. My father has not been feeling well for a few days. He went to a walk in  urgent care facility and they diagnosed a virus. He did not want to go to the ER. He was afraid that my mother would be alone and fearful of not having anyone else there with him to make decisions. Yesterday he said that he was too weak to walk. After all day phone calls back and forth, I made the executive decision that my sister would fly down to assess the situation. It was not an easy decision to make but as soon as it was done, we relaxed. He has to go to dialysis today and if he was too weak to drive, how could he get there. Now, she will take him. I am hopeful that by this morning he will feel better and my sister can have an enjoyable visit.

Best Gift Ever

This is the time of year when people buy gifts for everyone. Some gifts have a lot of thought behind them and others are just bought because we have to. Think for a minute about the best gift you ever received. I am looking at mine now. Last year my son and daughter in law sent me a framed picture of my granddaughter. When I opened it, it took me a second to focus in on it. It was an 8x10 of her face. Just her face. Life size. She is posed with her hands resting on her chin. She isn't smiling, she is just looking at me with a peaceful glow. I put her on the desk where my computer is. When I Skype with her I always show her the picture and she assumes the same pose and laughs. When I feel sad, I sit at the desk and talk to her. When I am happy I do the same. Out of all the gifts I ever got, this one tops the list. It didn't cost them much to make it, but it is priceless to me.

Overload

I feel like I am on overload. There is so much going on lately that my head is spinning. There is a saying that someone has a "full plate". I feel like I have a smorgasbord with more being cooked in the kitchen. Some things are public knowledge and others cannot be told to everyone yet. In the end, everything will settle down, but for the time being my head is not attached to my shoulders. Yesterday, I got dressed and when I was walking out of my house I looked down to see that I was still wearing my pajama bottoms. I had on all of the rest of my clothes, but I forgot to put on my pants before I put on my shoes.

Perfection

Some days just flow. Yesterday was one of them. I went to New Jersey for the holiday. I was anticipating heavy traffic but it flowed. I arrived at my niece's home and played with her new baby. We looked into each others eyes and bonded. The cocktail hour was so delicious that I filled my stomach up to capacity. The dinner was even more delicious but I did not eat a lot. Desserts are always over the top! The ride home was even better than the ride there. A perfect day.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving. This year I have a lot to be thankful for. My parents are doing well. I am expecting a new grandchild. Certain prayers have been answered. I am not only thankful, I am grateful. This is my favorite holiday. I spend it with extended family that I only see once a year. The food is wonderful. The day has a cozy feeling, like being wrapped in a warm blanket wearing fuzzy slippers. The ride to my niece's house may take two hours, but I can spend the time looking forward to the wonderful day that I will be having.

Season's Start

Today is the unofficial start of the holiday season. People will begin traveling home for Thanksgiving. This will be followed by Black Friday, Cyber Monday and a month of mandated shopping. Stress levels rise because people do not know what to buy and most do not have the budget for it. This is the time of year when my office sees an increase in patients. As much as it is a happy season, it is also a depressing one. When the holiday season ends, most people give a sigh of relief.

Two Minutes

We all have possessions. Most of us have more than we will ever need. We probably do not know what is hiding in our closets or basements. I read about an exercise yesterday that I found interesting. If your house was burning down and the firemen gave you two minutes to collect your most valued belongings, what would you take? There would be no time to think. Grab and go. What would be the most important items that would hurt to lose. For me it would be pictures of my children and my pocketbook. That's all that I would need. What would you choose?