Sunday Reflections – 10 December 2017

Sunday Reflections Button

Happy Sunday!

It is cloudy and cold. There is snow on the ground. We are expected to get more snow tonight and tomorrow. Inside however, the tree is trimmed. Christmas songs are playing. A load of laundry is in the washing machine. Holly has a batch of sugar cookies in the oven. Jim is icing his knee and snuggled under a blanket. Tallulah is taking one of her many naps curled on her bed. In other words, all is right with our little world.

Jim made it through his surgery with flying colors and is actually walking with a barely perceptible limp today. His pain has been minimal, and his only issue with his knee has been stiffness. However, it seems he is struggling with some aftereffects of the anesthesia affecting his memory which, for someone hyper-concerned about Alzheimer’s disease and his family’s genetic propensity for it, is causing a whole other slew of concerns. His post-op appointment with his doctor is this week, and I know it will be the first thing he mentions.

The job search is still slow. We knew when he lost his job that December was going to be a lost month because no one is hiring at this time of the year. However, every recruiter with whom he has talked is confident that come the first of the year, when companies are flush with new budgets and new plans for the fiscal year, the hiring will commence in full force. There is no doubt he will find a job in the new year. The question remains whether anything in the one-hour by car vicinity will open up for him or if we will be forced to move.

Connor is studying for his first week of finals. I would say that his first semester has gone about how we expected. He had a lot of fun and found his people. He struggled in Calculus II and will have to take it again next semester. He made some very freshman, very 17yo mistakes about class attendance in his Spanish 303 class. It was not the successful semester we hoped it would be but more of what we expected. He is still so young and has always learned best from the school of hard knocks. In that regard, these past few months, and especially these past few weeks, have been a great learning experience for him.

I AM THANKFUL FOR: the resistance for staying strong and giving me hope. The news might infuriate me, but I see how active my friends are. I read how others are resisting. I see the news on approval ratings, on support for certain legislation. I hear how more and more celebrities are being accused of sexual assault and companies taking immediate action upon those accusations becoming public. I read articles on subpoenas and cooperation by non-White House people. I see all of these things and feel a small niggle of hope for the first time in a year. People are more aware of the injustice that occurs to women on a daily basis. There are real steps being taken to uncover the truth behind the 2016 election. Constituents are letting their voices be heard like never before. While Congress has not caught onto this fact quite yet, by this time next year, I believe they will face the harsh reality that their actions have wrought on this country. I welcome that day, but in the meantime, I am so thankful for all of those who continue to fight the good fight and speak out for those who can’t and speak up for those who refuse to hear.

I AM GRATEFUL THAT: my father was able to come up on Wednesday to take Jim to the hospital, wait there for him, and take him home. I don’t have much vacation time left, and I need every minute of that time for Holly’s dance competitions next year. My job is flexible enough that I was able to leave early to meet them at home, but the fact that I didn’t have to take any time was a tremendous help. Plus, having gone through the very same surgery several times himself, I know he was a comfort to Jim and was able to give him a better understanding of what to expect and how best to recover than I ever could.

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO: 12:30 PM next Saturday, which is when we will all be seeing the new Star Wars movie! Holly will even be missing half of a dance rehearsal because I bought these tickets a month ago, and the rehearsal was just added to the schedule last week. It is in a theater with recliners for seats and a full service to your seat restaurant. Star Wars, recliners, and food. Yep. Heaven.

**********

Here are past posts from the few last weeks in case you missed them the first time: