I’m so glad to know that Spring has sprung throughout the nation. Nothing lifts my spirit more quickly than swaying back and forth on our patio swing while gazing across the expanse of a sun kissed, azure blue sky with loved ones, gathered peacefully at my side.
On Friday and Saturday, my niece, Jessica, being fully vaccinated, was welcomed with a heartfelt hug into our home for the first time in more than a year.
In addition to beautiful weather, Sunday offered up such a wonderful family day that for hours at a stretch, I’d felt so happy as to forget cancer and chemo looming overhead with another serious surgery and lengthy recovery to follow..
My sister brought her friend Madalyn’s air fryer to our house to demonstrate (like an infomercial on TV) the ease and speed with which shrimp, chicken, and freshly chopped broccoli, cauliflower, brusselsprouts and string beans are prepared—all of which tasted so delicious (having been salt, peppered and spiced) that microwave cooking was put to shame. As to cleaning up, that was as surprisingly quick and easy as preparing this healthy, savory meal (which having served seven of us) had proved to be.
Steven and Ravi joined us at about 5pm, and as always, their arrival made my heart sing with gladness—the fun began with our young, animated stylist/make-up artist applying sparkling color to Lauren’s face, mine and her own.
Being that Sunday is a school night, Steven and Ravi left for home at 8pm while David, Will and I continued to enjoy Lauren and Michael until about 10pm, as no one wanted to say goodbye. They fly home, today.
Right after their leave-taking, last night, our doorbell rang. Their rental car had a flat. Michael spent the next hour on the phone dealing with that frustration after which our conversation (while awaiting the arrival of roadside service) revolved around various rental car ‘calamities’, being that, on Saturday, a stone, striking their windshield, caused an ‘S’ shaped crack to form, which, throughout the weekend, expanded from an inch to more than three feet in length causing them to wonder if the whole window might shatter before the rental from hell was returned. And as the tire could not be repaired (and as Michael had refused the rental company’s insurance plan (at $27 a day), it’s likely that the rental company will charge Michael an arm and a leg for a new tire—thus did a wonderful day end up going sideways, reminding us to consciously cherish every peaceful moment when life is going well, all around.
Lauren’s friend, Madalyn, is an upbeat first grade teacher whose offer to tutor Ravi, this summer (so that our precious grand daughter’s less-than-pleasurable experience with virtual schooling, throughout kindergarten, will change for the better (before first grade starts in August) is deeply appreciated in hopes of re-igniting Ravi’s quick-witted, natural eagerness to absorb every aspect of learning that’s presented by a patient professional as an adventurous challenge (rather than a boring chore, dragging on for hours, day after day)..
No doubt, the rest of my day will be spent resting unless I’m taking very short walks with Will and David, attesting to the fact that these past five days, enjoyed to the fullest with extended family, proved simultaneously entertaining, spiritually re-energizing and exhausting.
In hopes of ending this text on an up note—this past week proved, yet again, that the best medicine ever is love combined with laughter, which feels mutually nourishing whenever by-gones are truly forgiven, releasing a heartfelt connection that bubbles up so freely as to flow, back and forth, in a naturally nurturing fashion, all round.
Annie
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