Hug your children

5 pm, Sept 14, 2023 - Waiting to be called in for my chemo and vaccines.  The door to the chemo suites opens and a young father walks out with a small pink backpack in his hands.  Behind him trails a beautiful whispy child with hollow eyes and a few small swirls of platinum blonde hair that look to be only a few months old.  She is tall and skinny for her age.  Her little legs look like toothpicks.   She is probably eight or nine.  Behind her trails an oxygen tank.  I wanted to hug her and tell her that I was going to put her in my prayers.  That her healthy little body is so much stronger than those of all of the old people here around her.  To have faith.  That she is so loved.  That we are all hoping that she gets better. 

While I was having my blood drawn, my nurse told me stories about her grandchildren who are precocious and growing-up-too-fast.  A mother's plight.  My youngest child just turned 20 yesterday.  I remember when she was born as if it were yesterday.  I thank the universe every day that she and my other two children made it to adulthood without major health setbacks.  I count this among the greatest blessings.  

Life just careens by.  Grab it before it slips away.  

I had to run 2 miles to my dear friend's house to borrow a car to go to chemo this afternoon.   I am not used to running, so it was an event.  In mid-dash I picked up messages on my phone and saw that my mother was in the hospital with a broken hip.  It had been broken in two places.  Surgery tomorrow am.

Life just careens by.  Enjoy every second of every day as if it were your last week on earth.  Life is crazy and it never stops accelerating.  It never stops changing. 

Thank you for writing me after my last blogpost, to those who did.  Your notes mean so much to me.  

Enjoy today.