My friends Susan and Donna W had planned to head east from Asheville to do a trip canoeing on Merchants Mill Pond. These guys are hardy and have been known to canoe the Congaree Swamp over Thanksgiving when it is only 22 degrees. However, the rain over the state when they were supposed to leave, changed their minds. I got a voice mail message from Susan yesterday saying that she and Donna had conferred and decided that they didn't want to be wet and cold all w-e. Being a fair weather camper myself, I would have made the same decision. I was looking forward to Susan and Donna's trip because I haven't seen them in quite a while. Susan works at the hospital every 3rd w-e and had been to Folly Beach the last time we were in Asheville. So it's been a while since we've been able to connect in person. She sent me an email about how she had not even unpacked her stuff because she was disappointed about not being able to head out with her original plans. It got me thinking about her "found" w-e that now holds promise for whatever else she might want to do with the time. And it got me thinking about how the next few days were to be a little mini vacation for Holly and me in San Antonio while she has her veterinary pathology conference there. We had planned for me to go with her, taking advantage of her hotel suite right on the Riverwalk for 5 days. If you'd asked me a year ago what I'd be doing now, I'd have told you that we'd be at that conference together. Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed that I'd be here getting treatment for leukemia while she heads to Texas. That's one of those zingers life throws you. I get to visit with my pal Billie as part of my "found" time, and I'll get to see my Mom again after a couple of months absence due to her overseas cruise. As Randy Pausch said in his last lecture (recorded on Youtube if you want to see it), you can't change the cards you are dealt, only the way you play them. I'd love to be in San Antonio with Holly for her conference, and I'd love for Susan to be canoeing Merchant Mills Pond. But we are both going to have some other fun instead.
I don't go back to the clinic until Sunday morning at 10am. Billie is coming tonight for the w-e and going to the clinic with me on Sunday morning. She is heavy into fundraising season at her Hospice job, getting ready for the Tree of Lights event. I'm glad I can provide some relief from all the overtime work she is doing right now.
Photo: In Susan's honor, another Pond photo from when we stopped there in October
2 comments:
Tree,
I've just been catching up on your blog entries this morning. Congratulations on completing treatment! What a relief to be at this place. I wish you and Holly tranquillity and freedom to pursue your dreams and regain the joyful moments of the precious mundane.
I often think of you, even though my time and energy have been mainly directed toward my mother's care during the last year, and especially so since her move to Woodland Terrace assisted living in Cary at the end of September. After a couple of very hard weeks and, thankfully a new med, Mama's spirits and adjustment to assisted living are on the upswing.
I have been inspired by the way you and Holly have faced the challenge of your illness as I find my own way of being a support to my mother and at the same time maintaining my own life. I continue to relearn the lesson of acceptance in order to view each new day with possibility. We all have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I look forward to spending some quality time with you and Holly in the near future.
I hope to see you all at the CWC concert this Saturday. We are singing a beautiful song with the following message that I will leave you with this beautiful, sunny, chilly fall morning: "It's you that are the music, not your song. The song is but a door which opening wide let's forth the pent up melody. Your spirit's harmony, which clear and strong sings but of you." The text is from a poem "Listening" by Amy Lowell.
Enjoy the day!
Love, Julia
Thank you for a beautiful message and comment. Just curious for my own (prof) knowledge, what is the med that helped your Mom with her spirits?
We are attending the concert this upcoming weekend (God willing and the creek don't rise, as they say in the mtns...)
Thanks again for all you two (and everyone else) have done to help us, support us, and make a difficult journey so much easier!
Post a Comment