Universal Two by Four

I've been literally and metaphorically off-balance since the election. Half-asleep and fighting depression for the first half of that period and falling all over myself in the second half.  Early last week I fell in the pool while coaching - it was 40 degrees and I was fully clothed for outdoor practice in waterproof shoes and parka when I went in. To their credit, the athletes did not laugh at me - they were horrified. As if I would drown in 3 feet of water ... but the weight of my winter clothes could have been dangerous in the deep end.

Three days after that unique incident, I slipped and fell outside the same outdoor pool and landed solely on the middle finger of my right hand, fracturing the tip and nearly detaching the tendon.  It's my first verified break and it's now splinted for four to six weeks. My acupuncturist said that this middle-finger fracture was hugely symbolic, to which I replied "Do you think??" I am literally walking around giving a red-taped middle finger to the world.

"Accidents are not accidents," she calmly countered. "The universe is trying to tell you something and you were not listening, so it whacked you with a 2 x 4."

 I'm officially now all ears for whatever the universe wants to say . . .  probably "slow down, take care of yourself, try to block out the raging ridiculousness of the current political scandals in Washington."  I'm not entirely sure, and it's difficult to type with this blasted middle finger.

To add to the craziness, Rob is home sick with either Covid, bronchitis or pneumonia. He tested negative for Covid but I don't believe it.  Apparently he wasn't taking care of himself, either, and got hit by his own universal 2 x 4. Lesson to readers: work on self-care and don't ignore the obvious signals - you want to avoid the big universal whacks on the head!

Belated Spring Wishes

“Spring is Christ, raising martyred plants from their shrouds.”

–Rumi, “Spring is Christ”

A belated happy Easter and happy spring wishes to all, and apologies for being absent for several weeks. In the three weeks since our hyacinths first poked their heads out of the ground we have suffered through a nasty stomach virus that hit everyone in the family and laid waste to my children’s digestive tracts. Though it provided just a glimpse of the fear that some families wrestle with on a daily basis as their children fight illness, it was still traumatic for the children and for us. Despite having endless time on my hands as we rattled around the house, trapped by the requirement of a short radius to the lavatory, I could not write, read anything difficult, or indeed harness two functioning brain cells together for any higher-order task.

Celebrating the Easter holiday yesterday with an outdoor egg hunt felt revolutionary, though allowing the children a smidgen of candy and watching them run around raised faint echoes of hysteria in my psyche. My son has “recovered” and roused his energy levels and his appetite four times during this bug only to succumb to horrible bouts of illness from both ends as his system rebelled. Thankfully, I am writing early in the morning after a rare night of good sleep for all and feel confident that the children will finally make an appearance at school (knock wood).

In the last several weeks as I wrestled with huge loads of laundry and measured countless teaspoons of Pedialyte I have had cause to be grateful for the many conveniences and luxuries that I have. Though fearful at the weight loss I watched in my children I know I have access to grocery stores, medicine, clean water, hospitals if need be, washing machines, good shelter and clean clothes. I cannot imagine battling a gastrointestinal illness in a refugee camp or poor village without any of the above. Watching the destructive path of this illness I could believe that diarrhea kills 1.5 million children in the developing world each year (UN statistic, article http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=514392). I am on the lookout for a good rehydration salts distribution program if anyone can recommend one. We need to provide a donation.

During the lengthy rotation of sick and sleepless nights provided by the illness of three children and a husband I caught a glimpse into the perpetual turmoil and worry that must surround a very ill child, and I send prayers to the families and children journeying on this difficult road. You all deserve medals for your mettle, indeed (www.medals4mettle.org). Tag-teaming with my husband through the night as one parent cleaned and consoled a child while the other raced up and down with armfuls of towels and bedding for the washer, carpet cleaner, rags and clean sheets, we could only imagine what endurance and calm it would take to sustain similar efforts through a marathon rather than a sprint. Routine is a blessing, and mundanity can be profound.

In the midst of turmoil we did have a joyful blessing arrive by way of our new nephew and cousin. The little one was born half a country away but felt so close in our hearts as we celebrated his healthy birth with his wonderful parents, who kept us updated via the modern marvels of Facebook and digital photos. The happy tidings felt like an early Easter blessing – new life and hope arriving at the end of a dark period, promising the end of winter and a new start. We wish them joy and peace - and boundless good health.