Making dinner tomorrow for my aunt (mom's sister) who lost her husband a few weeks ago and who had his service while we were out of town. Makes his passing a bit distant to my heart, having not been able to share in his burial. Glad I saw him in the hospital recently. I knew then that it would be the last time.
My aunt is recovering from a fall last week, which I mentioned. Such doings in our family. You think things will go on as they have before, old folks outliving everyone and all of a sudden, it's all changed. In the last six months much has gone on.
Seems all the pain I seem to be surrounded with has allowed me time to stop and appreciate things. Maybe I'm gaining perspective. Hope so. When you see folks' lives change in a brief moment, the minutes ahead of me seem more precious.
To watch the cream swirl in my cup of tea. To sweep up the leaves and dry mud the dogs and our shoes bring in the house---always sweeping. Slicing potatoes for a pie. Washing my hands with soap that smells like rosemary. Listening to a new song. Separating threads to guide through a needle.
Just ordinary things that seem special because any of those moments could be the last. Or if not the last, at least not thought of as dearly as they might.
