Goodness! I seem to have neglected to update recently. My apologies for the delays. I’ve got some great Autumn goodies to share but I want to get the “ugly” stuff out of the way first. So stay tuned for the fun stuff.
On the 29th, I went in for my Antro-duodenal Motility Study. That’s the ugly and technical words for “test to see how well the muscles in my stomach and the entry to my small intestine work.”
Posted in At the Doctor's, Boston, Hospital life, mito, Raising Awareness, The Future | 1 Comment »
“Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal!” – Mark Timothy Allen
While saying goodbye to my uncle, he held me tight. Although he had just lost his husband (my uncle Mark), Jeff touched me by his words: “Since last Tuesday, I’ve been trying really hard to find the little blessings in life.”
I think that’s important. Sometimes, we get caught up in the pains – both small and large – in life. They’re probably more memorable. After all, how frequently do we overlook things like having dinner with a friend, hugging goodbye, or receiving an “I love you” from a loved one? Especially when they’re overshadowed by crummy bosses, viruses, and inadequate income. What if that was your last dinner, your last hug, your last “I love you”?
My uncle told us that one of his “little blessings” was having Keith and me out from Boston. And our little blessing was being able to be there for loved ones who were in pain. Before I was reminded of this blessing, it was overshadowed by loss, pain, and stress of travel. See? It’s easy for these blessings to be obscured.
So I dug deep and found some wonderful “little blessings” from the past week:
Posted in Blessings, California, Family, Friends, Love and loss, Stealing words | 1 Comment »
I give you this one thought to keep –
I am with you still – I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the sweet uplifting rush,
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft starts that shine at night.
Do not think of me as gone –
I am with you still in each new dawn.
-Adaptation from Mary Frye’s “Do not stand at my grave and weep”
Yesterday saw the loss of a beautiful and loving soul. A man I loved deeply. Did I tell you enough that I loved you? I hope so.
Emotional pain is a beautiful thing. That pain is evidence that you’ve allowed yourself to do one of the most important things in life: to love. I do wonder if the degree of pain is proportional to the amount of love. Because it hurts. Bad.
I want to thank my Uncle Mark for a few things. I don’t know whether I ever personally thanked him, but I hope he’s hearing my words now.
Posted in Family, Friends, Love and loss, Stealing words, The Future | Leave a Comment »
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
-Robert Frost
Still Miles to Go 