Friday, November 28, 2008

Tired. And Thankful.

It's been a day of ups and downs, as most are, which just reinforces the fact that we all need to be Thankful not just on one day that was set aside, but every day...Thankful for the big gifts and the small ones too. Thankful for the memories and experiences that have shaped our lives, taught us lessons, and brought us to this moment. Because at this moment your whole life could change.

My Gram, who is 95 was hospitalized this morning, briefly. She had had another heart attack and had fallen and hit her head, was a little disoriented and VERY upset. We were all Thankful that because of her advanced state of mental deterioration she wasn't aware of what day it was - that would have upset her even more! Of course, we were also very worried and since Mom is her primary care-giver she was called away so we worried about her too (she gets a little stressed - okay! That's a major understatement, but you get the point). We all pulled together to get dinner together and make things go as smoothly as possible given the circumstances. At one point this morning I was alone in my parent's house, peeling 10 lbs of potatoes and singing at the top of my lungs to my Kate Gaffney CD (yes, I am a bit obsessed with it) and feeling so happy to have this time to myself and then immediately feeling guilty to be enjoying myself. Later in the day Dad took over the hospital, and it was hard not seeing him at the head of the table today (almost premonition like, ugh)...

But at the end of the day, like so many other Thanksgiving days, we all were well fed and grateful for our time together. Gram was sent home, but I'm not entirely sure she'll be with us much longer and I am returning to Sacramento on Saturday...another up/down I must deal with. So, remember to celebrate the ups, learn from the downs, then get ready to celebrate the next up - because it's coming. Big or small, lengthy or brief, the ups and downs just keep rolling along, and it's best if you can roll right along with 'em...