Counting down…

By now you, kind reader, know I’m an avid journaler—one sentence, a poem, a few paragraphs, very occassionally three pages—every day. What I may not have shared is that, egotistical perhaps, my custom is also to read past entries daily, those from a year ago, a month ago, a week ago and yesterday.

Apparently last year at this time, I called several folks on my list (of 70!) from the cathedral to encourage them to come to the parish dinner to celebrate our capital campaign. The wild thing was, though I didn’t know it at the time, I completed this task three days before my mother died. At least I decided to only call the 25 or so I knew on said list (which is what I agreed to do, after all, but then was sent a list of 70—ah, volunteer work is something, isn’t it?) In another life I might have powered-through every one of them even with my mother on her deathbed. Lord, silly me!

Next I’ll tell you about visits with Mom since then. Maybe. This is me warming up to it. Stay tuned.

When Dear Ones Pass

Our friend, Marilyn, has died. We studied Spanish together and were Eucharistic Visitors at the same time. Most intimately we talked at Kaiser during infusions (her’s and Rob’s). I visited Thursday morning when we sat for a while, breathing together. Life support was removed later that day.

I have been sad while waiting and am feeling more peaceful knowing she has passed on to Glory.

Another post about Marilyn.

Praying and Noticing

When I got here after seven o’clock last night, I was just in time for a swim in the warm outdoor heated pool (no stars though as it was drizzling). Now I am drying my suit in front of the heater.

Also, this luxury (and haunted) hotel did not provide a table for my GIANT breakfast. So I chose to use the ironing board. Sweet server Amanda said she’d never seen that done before.

Next, I called to ask if I could possibly get a to-go box, because I’ve decided to live these days by the mantra, “Ask for what you need/want, of God and everybody else too.” Plus, I wanted to hear Amanda call me “Love” again in her lilting Arkansas accent.

Know this: There are answers to prayers everywhere, Love.