This scene never changes.
I am spending time in Rhode Island as I have done my entire life– a summer of rest, of memories, of gratitude.
It’s a little more difficult as I can’t bring Mom. So we don’t tell her we are coming– it would be too difficult for her to understand why she can’t be here. But she is doing well, and I needed some time off.
So we sleep, read, take walks, and enjoy family and friends.
A friend asked me for a card like this. I’ll bet it works for all kinds of moms.
#letterpress #mothersday
Whew, a long few months. It’s amazing how mom’s dementia (plus her stress fracture and UTI) and my own bout with some stomach/digestive issues have twisted my thinking and weighed me down. But I do believe that warmer weather and signs of spring are lifting me out of the darkness.
I am learning how to balance it all. John O’Donohue helps, too:
On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets into you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green
and azure blue,
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.
When you can’t remember that you don’t remember, life is frustrating. Last night Mom needed an MRI to see why she was struggling to walk. She winced at every step.
But the good people at the imaging center were running behind. At 10 pm, Mom was ready to go, not sure where she was, or why we were there. The results will be ready on Monday, but until then, we need to keep her off her feet. That’s not easy when you forget that you aren’t supposed to walk.
David sensed that I needed a break, so we took a 20-hour trip to VA Beach. Seeing this made the quick trip totally worth it:
I am rejuvenated.
What is it about walking in soft, white sand, staring at teal water, or slipping through gentle waves as we sail?
After a long winter of health issues, mom issues, and freezing cold weather, I am ready to — well, ready to continue on. The problems don’t change, but they are certainly easier when I’ve had a break. I’ve enlisted the help of experts for the next few weeks to guide me through some decisions about caring for mom, and that will help. Also, I’m setting up a regular schedule of visits with her so I can designate some printing time. I’ve missed that.
But this morning, my thoughts are back in Turks and Caicos. What a gift.
The mind should be allowed some relaxation, that it may return to its work all the better for the rest. Seneca