Dear Friends,
Greetings on this lovely Sunday morning! Today, I find myself feeling
grateful for all the blessings in my life: my family, my pets, my great
community and not least of all, my health and ability to move around.
In honor of that, I encourage all of us to motivate ourselves and get out-
side this morning in loving appreciation for the beauty Nature bestows on
us.
When I awoke this morning our almost 17 year old dog, Winnie, was staring
intently out the window. She is in visible decline and observing her today
brought back a thoughtless remark that someone who recently visited us
made when we mentioned how old Winnie is. “Wow, they don’t live much
longer than that and she looks really old.” The remark surprised me because
of its insensitivity but mostly because it made me realize that while my mind
is prepared for Winnie’s eventual passing, my heart is not ready to lose her.
My husband had arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday to remove a damaged
meniscus. I awaited the outcome of this procedure for several hours in a
comfortable waiting area that provided a unique environment in which to
people watch. As the hours passed, I “studied” the different ways
others combated boredom, or (as in my case as a “doer”) accomplished
something. I feel my surveillance is justified because it will yield many
essays about the rhythm of life and writing is one of my life purposes!
Some people were very quiet while others spent the time making phone
calls to update others or conduct business. After a few hours, the doctor
came to see me and communicated the news of a happy outcome. Since
there was still some waiting time to follow, I returned to contemplating.
All kinds of people come and go in this setting, from orderlies to ER
patients. One arrival that struck me was a boy in a school uniform with
bruises on his face and what appeared to be a broken arm. He was
accompanied by his mother who could not have anticipated earlier how
her day would unfold.
Every breath, every movement, every minute is precious. I don’t know
how long Winnie (or any of us) has left in this life but spending time in
the hospital made me even more aware of how vital it is to savor each
instant, to live it to the fullest, and to let the people you love know you do.
Have a wonderful day and a terrific week, Marietta
Marisundays 