Whoa. So, so late posting today.
See, I woke up with the bestest of intentions, but then NYC called a Snow Day for schools, and suddenly I had to be a Good Mom and take my son sledding. And then we ended up about twenty blocks away from our house, and I couldn’t exactly jump onto the computer there with any kind of aplomb, so–here I am.
But that has been par for the course this week anyway, so why did I think today would be different? I’ve been feeling yukky all week, haven’t written a stitch, and have just generally been moping.
BUT since I subscribe to the ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life,’ because if I didn’t, I would be even more self-deprecatingly acerbic than I am now, I have to pretend this week didn’t happen. Ergo, this post is not happening. You are imagining all of it. So just go ahead and imagine I’m all brilliant, and stuff, and all of us will walk away unscathed. Look how I just turned that into a surrealistic Borges moment!
I return next week, I promise, with discussion on writing, books, fun, etc.
Megan
I would like to think that this week never happened either. My father is in the critical care unit at St. Vincent’s Hospital. There is a possibility he could lose his foot, which I know he would not get over. Losing his foot could possibly make him lose his will to live. I am a wreck and my older sister is being incredibly selfish and thinking about her and how my parents’ house doesn’t make her feel safe because it’s dirty. It’s not really dirty…it’s lived in. Like so many other people’s houses. We are not Grey Gardens. So I am stressed and just wanted to say “I understand Megan. I want this week to go away as well.”
So sorry to hear about your father, Jane Austen, and the unnecessary family drama. When my aunt was in her 80s she lost her leg at the knee. A wonderful hospital social worker got her in a rehab center instead of a nursing home. She got a prosthesis, learned to walk and lived independently until her death at age 92.
So tell your father he can do it!! (and make the hospital do a psychiatric referral to see if he can benefit from an antidepressant – most seniors who have a major health event wind up with clinical depression)
How insensitive of me!
Megan, I am sorry for your sucky week. Some are like that. I do think you are a cool mom to take your son sledding! I’m sure HE didn’t think it was a sucky week!
How insensitive of me!
Megan, I am sorry for your sucky week. Some are like that. I do think you are a cool mom to take your son sledding! I’m sure HE didn’t think it was a sucky week!
Jane Austen, so sorry to hear of your family’s troubles!
And Diane, you’re not insensitive at all!–I’m just indulging in my usual griping, Jane Austen’s problems are way more real.
Sending prayers and positive thoughts to you Jane Austen. Tell your sister if she doesn’t like the way the house is to get busy cleaning! It will be a wonderful gift waiting for your father to return home. Any time my brothers complain about something at my Mom’s I tell them “You’re two strong grown men. Figure it out!”
Hey, Megan I have whole months that I tell myself “This didn’t really happen. I dreamed it all. Time to wake up.” In fact most of my days at Wal-Mart I get through by saying “This is not my life. This is just my pretend life until my REAL life comes along !!”
Your aunt is my kind of lady, O Divine One. My great aunt went blind at 90, but she still managed to tat some of the most beautiful lace you’ve ever seen. She taught me how to tat and my stuff doesn’t look nearly as gorgeous as the things she did AFTER she went blind.
Life is a decision. Sometimes you just have to decide “This is what it’s going to be today.” And sometimes you have to decide a minute at a time!
Thanks for the support everyone. This is the only place I can vent about the sister issue since no one in my family knows I’m Jane Austen.
Jane, we’ll keep your father and family in our thoughts and prayers.
Megan, snow or no snow, school or no school, we all have blah days. Even in Hawaii (as I duck the snow balls being lobbed across the Pacific Ocean). Yes, the weather is beautiful. The mountains are gorgeous. The sun setting over the ocean is breathtaking … but we have VOG – fog like volcanic ash that infects everyone’s breathing. We have construction projects at a stand still. We have Furlough Fridays (no school due to no money). And we have the Akaka Bill, re-igniting the political debates of injustice and racism. This is the topic of my 12 year old’s research paper that is painful for him to write and me to motivate (he has the ability, he just chooses not to use it).
So the oh-hums come in all shapes, sizes, and weather.
Like Megan, I subscribe to the “today is the first day of the rest of your life” theory. Otherwise the dust would win the war of housework!
Megan, you are brilliant. You are a brilliant person who has had a yukky week and you were indeed a Good Mom today. Your son will remember.
JA, so sorry to hear about your dad.
Hmmm… sometimes you just have one of those days, all week long. And sometimes, it’s all month long. I’ve had a few that were all year long. However, I noticed that the first thing you mentioned doing (after addressing the post) is taking your son sledding, clearly that was the priority, and it’s a shame more parents don’t have their priorities straight. The writing will always be there, but before you know it, your son will want to go sledding with his friends, and then he’ll be all grown up. He may not remember the specifics of this day, but he will remember and cherish the feeling of being loved and put first.
JA, praying for your dad and you. Sorry to hear about your sister. Smothering her in her sleep is not an option. ;-D
Wow, sorry about all of it. Believe me, I know exactly where all of you are coming from.
Sledding with the kid was PERFECT and don’t let anyone tell you any different. If we don’t exercise our bodies, our minds will stagnant when we need them the most. So you were helping your writing while being the best mom ever.
Idk about smothering, but if she needs clean that much how about we paint Mr Clean on her back 😀 (I’m an artist as well as author!)
Chin up and pay attention to Diane’s advice. My dad worked hospice for many years and is still in social work and depression is probably worst than a lot of illnesses. It affects the sick person as well as the loved ones caring for them. Watch for it in all of your family. The sister may be hiding behind the “dirty House” syndrome in order to keep her fears at bay. If not, ignore it and do as others here have said. She can clean it if she really has an issue with it and it would do her and your father some good.
You’re right, Leona. When my mom gets squirrelly like that, it’s because she’s afraid and feeling out of control, so she takes control in any way she can. For my own sanity, I had to learn to have a sense of humor, so I wasn’t constantly on edge wanting to stop her behavior or let it overwhelm me.
My father is doing well and his foot is responding to the medication. He will have another procedure tomorrow. Thank you all for you thoughts and advice.
HA! My word verification is BLESS.
“Bless?” that is a good sign.
Here’s to hoping the medication works. They can do wonders these days.
Thanks for the hopeful update, JA.
that’s good news! I’m glad to hear he’s responding well. Just remember to take care of yourself as well as your family. 🙂
Congratulations to Megan. These glasses look fun! I rlleay love unique and unusual glass ware! These would also be fun for serving icecream or little desserts in. I will need to look HuePhoria up on google :o)Blessings & Aloha!