I am emotionally spent.
I haven’t had a week like this one in… well, I don’t know when this has happened before, but it probably has.
Monday I went to spend some time with my hairdresser.
While I was there, she told me about how her 70 year old father was found in his house last week, passed away.
He had been gone for 10 days while his mentally ill wife continued to try and feed him, but couldn’t.
Heartbreaking.
Tuesday was my normal day, which I am so thankful for now.
Wednesday I attended a work meeting.
All of the speech therapists work at different schools, so it’s nice to get together to visit and see each other’s faces every once in a while.
Except when we got there, we were told that our 73 year old colleague, who had more life and energy than all of us combined, had passed away the day before.
Again, heartbreaking.
Because she wasn’t done living yet. She made that known every day.
She was the part of our team that traveled from school to school, visiting all of us and making us smile.
She will be missed.
Thursday, I embarrassed Michael at school.
Well, embarrassed isn’t the right word. I mortified him.
And I felt awful.
He was in line with his class and I walked by and ruffled his hair and sang, “I lovvveeee youuu.”
We’re a sarcastic family.
We joke around a lot.
I expected him to push my hand away and say, “Mom… quit!”
But he didn’t.
He put his head down and started quietly crying.
He didn’t feel well, and my actions sent him over the edge.
I pulled him into the nearest classroom and apologized profusely.
I promised him a bottle of Coke with lunch.
In the end, I let him go home and rest.
(And the next day, none of his friends mentioned the incident.
Either they didn’t notice anything, or they forgot to tease him about it.)
I went back to school for one more group of students and had to stop teaching for a few minutes because of a loud helicopter right over the school.
I later found out that helicopter was taking a little boy to the hospital.
He went to kindergarten in the classroom next door to Jack.
He wandered away from his house and was found in a pond on the golf course next to the school.
It was our small town’s first drowning ever.
The worst thing to happen since our incident last year.
And I can’t stop thinking about it.
Friday, I had a doctor’s appointment for the back pain I have been having.
It was confirmed that I have the same genetic spinal diseases that my Grandmother had.
And my Dad is dealing with now.
Thankfully, my good health should keep these diseases from causing me to end up like my Grandmother, who was confined to a bed in pain for the last three years of her life.
Or my Dad, who is out of work and in constant pain right now, looking at back surgery.
I am unplugging for the weekend to be with my family.
To celebrate that I have parents to talk to, even if it is just on the phone.
I’ll be enjoying time with my kids, because some are without theirs this weekend.
We’ll be making cookies for the firemen and women that responded to that horrible call Thursday.
We’ll go swim in the pool and run around the backyard, because I can. And they can.
And I’ll be thankful that I’m alive and well, even if it means having back pain.
Because back pain is a small trade for all these amazing things going on around us that we get to enjoy every day.
So go.
Here’s your reminder.
Enjoy. Every. Day.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Sending you a big HUG! Enjoy your weekend.
jen@ourdailybigtop´s last [type] ..I heart faces – I wear my sunglasses
OMG, Becca. I am so sorry! Hugs to you … and I am even more glad for the half hour Bob and I had to connect over coffee this morning.
Was the co-worker Joan F.? I loved seeing her smile when she’d come to DSMS, in spite of all she was suffering.
Thank you for this. I can’t stop crying about them. I am sorry to hear about your back, call me.
thanK you for posting this. It brought tears to my eyes. Its very easy to focus on the hard thin gs in life. Sometimes you need a reminder to focus on what’s right.thank you for reminding me!
Oh my sweet friend. I wish I could give you a hug. What a good reminder for all of us to enjoy the blessings we have. I hope your weekend is better.
Beautiful. Thanks for the perspective becca.
wow Becca…thank you for sharing your stories and sorrows. Words can’t always express, but you do a fine job my dear. I am so sorry so many things like that happened all at once, but sometimes it does bring so much into perspective. We all need that reminder every once and awhile. Sending hugs and prayers for all of those people in you life, and for you and your family to find some time to just be together. We are headed out for a last minute camping trip because Erik has no work monday, and well, I will be trying extra hard to just enjoy our little time away a little bit more, thanks for the reminder, sorry it had to be so much at once for all of you.
I’m so sorry that each of those things happened. It does put perspective on my “problems,” and it is a really good reminder to live each day. Thank you Becca. Enjoy your family and your weekend.
Dear Becca -
I haven’t been around to comment much lately, but I still read your posts in my reader. You have been through the wringer this week and what’s coming out of it is clean, pure water. You manage to take heart wrenching experiences and see the positives. This is why I read blogs… to see this side of humanity that we don’t always see on a day to day basis. No, I don’t know you in real life, but I know that I would cherish a friend with a heart like yours. So sorry for the events of the week and the scary prognosis ahead for you… I know from reading this post that you have within you what it will take to make it through it. Thanks for sharing from your heart.
Wow, Becca….how heartbreaking. This brought me to tears. It’s true that we should always be thankful for what we have because things can be taken away from us in an instant. Have a wonderful weekend with your family.
Oh wow. I am so very sorry to hear about all of this. And I’m so sorry it all came so fast, leaving you kind of unable to sort through it all. Wish I could give you a hug (even though that might be kind of wierd because really, we don’t actually know each other). But I’m sending my love and prayers to you.
And I thank you heartily for the reminder. I think I needed it today.
Kristenkj´s last [type] ..What a summer day causes me to do
Oh Becca, I am so very sorry! Weeks like this are the ones that could break us, so glad you are taking the time to just be with your family. To recharge and and just be.
Many hugs to you.
Kellyn´s last [type] ..BlogLove – Being Inspired!
(((((Becca))))) I am so sorry you had such a rough week. I can’t even imagine how you are feeling right now. I hope you have a good weekend enjoying your family.
Christina´s last [type] ..First Grade!
Big hugs, Becca. I’m so sorry to hear about everything that is happening, but also smiling a little because you are still focusing on the blessings. Hugs and love, babe.
Becca, how heartbreaking about your friend who’s father passed – and that little boy – and your other friend from school. I prayed to God that you would never have to have the problems that Gram had, because I knew when I looked at your feet – you have feet just like hers – and now the back thing – please God, don’t let my daughter have to go through the pain my mother did every day for years and years and please Dear Lord don’t let her boys have the same problems that their Great Grandma, Grandpa and Mom have. Let them be strong and healthy and please make sure they have angels looking over them every day in every way. And Dear lord, please make sure you let them know every day somehow, some way, that I love them dearly and the joy that they have brought to my life is never ending. I love you Becca. Thank you for sharing and I hope your next week is much better than the last. And, God Bless the families you have talked about, because they have long roads ahead of them.
Oh wow, Becca! That was a terrible week for you… emotionally draining, for sure! I’m so sorry to hear all of these horrible, sad stories. So especially sorry to hear about that little boy! :( What a poignant reminder to enjoy every minute with those we love.
Many warm hugs to you and prayers for the families of those who have lost their loved ones.
Powerful Becca. Wish I could give you a big hug, right now (or last week). Thinking of you. May I ask who the colleague was and I would have known him/her?
I believe that God gives us tangible reminders sometimes, that we might slow down. And enjoy every day. Looks like yours were all delivered atop each other.
PS. Jayce and I took donuts to the fire station today. I think they enjoyed seeing him, especially after their rough week.
Darcie – Such The Spot´s last [type] ..It Was A Dark and Stormy Night
That was beautiful. Thank you for some perspective. A song that has been resonating with me lately includes the lyrics “Slooooow down, sloooow down before today becomes our yesterday. Slooow down, sloooow down before you turn around and it’s too late.”
Alysa Bajenaru´s last [type] ..Guest posting on Healthy Moms Kitchen today
I’ve been out of the loop with my blog reading/writing, so I’m playing catch up now. I am so sorry. :( Sounds like a truly dreadful week.
May I ask what kind of back issues you are having? My husband has AS (his spine is fusing/calcifying) which is also genetic, so this caught my attention.
Heather – Hopelessly Flawed´s last [type] ..Writer’s Workshop – My childhood neighborhood
Becca – so sorry about all of the losses in your family/community lately. I actually just wrote a post about the fragility of life on my blog too. It’s so important to make each day count, to focus in on what matters most.
Thank you for this excellent reminder.