Saturday, June 16, 2012

Showing Up

It's been a while - too long, really. But there simply has not been time to write something that wasn't either for pay or to remind myself of what I needed to do next. But I read a post by a writer who said that if you want to write, you need to show up and do it every day.

My last post was at Christmas when I wrote blissfully ignorant of the fun that the next six months would hold.

Mom went into the hospital multiple times for nausea and pain from right after Christmas all the way through to April when they wheeled her into an OR at Rush for back surgery. She came home today, two months and one week later. We've been through two hospitals and three rehab places during that time.

There have been upsides (may she never read this): Dad cleaned out accumulated years worth of papers. I'm waiting for the reaction about that, as Mom's a saver, let's just say. I've found I can have a political conversation with Dad and remain non-committal. I can also tell you that hospital cafeteria food has really gotten better. Rush has Au Bon Pain doing theirs and it's great. Edward Hospital's salad bar is quite good. The guest "beds" in the rooms at the new Rush facility are better than nothing, but not by a whole lot. They are better than the ones at Edwards, however.

And there have been downsides. I've not made my work quotas a couple of times (still employed, thankfully). VBS was a bit harried this time as there's nothing like having three days of Mom having a heart attack two weeks prior to VBS to liven things up.

And there has been joy.

A closer relationship with my family - stress can tear you apart or pull you together.

VBS - largest one ever, almost entirely carried by everyone but me, its director. Seventy-five children and babies, forty plus volunteers and no rain. When I left after the ice cream social last night, people were still hanging around talking.

The care of our church community in prayer and comfort.

The support of friends and wider family.

And the fact that Mom's home, when there were many weeks when we were certain she was not going to make it. Not only home, but planning to go up to the lake next week. Which I still cannot believe I'm typing, or even thinking. Wow.

Today summer starts, as far as I'm concerned. God is good. All the time.