As you can see from the photo above, I am enjoying what I believe to be the pleasant things in life – lounging by the fire with a good book, a cuddly dog and a smile. I am not planning on watching the Olympics or the Super Bowl, but I hope you enjoy it if that’s your jam.
For those disinclined to participate in the sports hoopla, you may enjoy this video: https://youtu.be/O2Fb-SJ9v0M?si=e3uCMkbdgF-64ww5
Yesterday, we drove through Lititz and Lancaster, walked the grounds of Franklin & Marshall, my alma mater, and stopped for a crib full of firewood. We’ve been getting up early with Jessie, the chocolate Labrador, for early-morning play every day, followed by a late-morning walk to see the neighborhood. We’ve also made simple dinners with lots of greens and protein. I think I could have been happy living in a cave if there had been enough hay for a comfy bed.
We’ve got instruments here if we get bored or excited to play or write, but mostly we’re just chilling, chatting, and working out every other day. The weather is, once again, the kind that keeps everyone but Inuit and die-hard ice fishermen inside. I have zero desire to be outdoors except to get my limbs moving and get a little vitamin D. That said, it is very absorbing to watch Jessie chase a tennis ball across 50 yards of frozen snow.
In the background, I’m worried and sad about my mom and my stepfather, both of whom are 88 and enduring some physical and emotional pain these days. If this trip hadn’t been booked in advance, I would probably be closer to them.
Thankfully, I have a brother and a sister, and they have a slew of medical professionals who are supporting my mom. She is in recovery from a broken hip, and my stepdad is at home, mostly bedridden, with folks who check in on him, too. This allows me to be in Lancaster and know that the sky isn’t falling…yet.
Some of my friends have had to go it alone when it came to elder care. Such is not the case with us, and for that I am truly grateful. Still, I recognize that this moment is another in the inevitable march toward the end of life that we all travel. Grief is a constant companion, now, even when I forget about it for a while.
I think that’s why it feels okay to do less, to pet Jessie and do things, or write this blog post. A Dog Day Afternoon is just fine for me. I hope you’re getting what you need, too.
By the way, who’s playing in the Super Bowl?
