Thinking of Others

I haven't really felt much like writing--trying to figure out what to do about my "career" is not great reading material, and it is taking so much energy to appear perky at work that I don't have a lot to spare. But I do know things are worse for others.

Please, if you have any spare energy, send it in the direction of our former housemate Jeff and his family. His mother is still in and out of the hospital, and that's been going on for months (not to mention her pneumonia earlier in the year). He says she has been rather out of it, and it concerned. But it got worse yesterday, when neighbors found her sweet husband, Tom, passed away in bed. They hadn't been married very long at all, and really didn't get a lot of time to enjoy each other with all their various medical setbacks. At least they got in a couple of nice trips. He sounded like such a kind person, and I had hoped to get to know him more. He was taking such good care of her--I know he didn't want to leave her. Now Jeff's family has to figure out who's going to help with Rose, what to do about her...gosh, they will be so overwhelmed. She will be a mess--this is her second time as a widow, plus her very nice boyfriend before Tom also died. My heart is hurting for their whole family.

Lots of deaths and funerals among my local friends, too, which has me thinking a lot about it. Not in a bad way--I am not worried about my own, just more concerned about how people have to deal with all the unforeseen consequences, on top of losing someone they care about in this life.

Thinking of how transitory our experience here really is always reminds me to enjoy my loved ones as much as possible. That's probably why I just can't expend a lot of energy being irritated at the kids or Lee over little things. The love I feel for them is so much more important and over-arching. I just want to be there for them, be a positive part of their life, be my best as much as possible, and show them the unconditional love they deserve. (Doesn't mean not being there to guide the children when they go astray, just not harping.)