Sunday, April 9, 2023

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Tonight's picture was taken on Easter of  2009. Mattie was in the hospital for the holiday. Hospitals and holidays don't go well together. Mainly because it feels like a ghost town, as they try to discharge as many patients as possible for the holidays and the regular staff is typically off. So it's a very isolating feeling, on top of the usual isolating feeling that we had to adjust to upon diagnosis. 

That day, two teenagers (who we had come to know from Mattie's school) came to the hospital to host an Easter egg hunt for him. They placed the eggs all over the pediatric hallways, and they wheeled Mattie around in his chair as he located the eggs. They brought him this beautiful basket as well and the eggs weren't filled with candy, but toys! They knew Mattie really wasn't into sugary things, but definitely appreciated all the little toys. This planned activity was SO appreciated because all distractions helped us take our minds off of cancer and its treatment for a little while.  

Quote of the day: Where flowers bloom, so does hope. ~ Lady Bird Johnson

Peter left the house at 6:30am, in order to catch his morning flight to Seattle. When I got downstairs this morning, I found notes he left for me. Peter leaves them in places he knows I will find them. Like the cabinet with cups! Peter has been doing this tradition for as long as I can remember!

Peter knows I clean the kitchen counters each morning. So rest assured I am in the rag closet often!

My other morning routine is vacuuming the first floor! Which is why the note says... suck it up! Any case these notes brought a smile to my face today. 

It has been non-stop chores today, which began with lots of linens from changing my parent's bed. While running around this morning, my mom called our cousin. My cousin Maureen is an extraordinary woman who has provided care to countless loved ones in her life. If I were Maureen, I would be perpetually in a bad mood. But this isn't Maureen. She is loving, has a great sense of humor, is very patient, and has a positive outlook on life. To me this is incredible.

When my mom chats with Maureen, it gives me time to do things uninterrupted. Typically I do not listen in on their conversations, but while folding laundry I happened to over hear my mom telling Maureen that she cared for my dad the same way that I did when they were in Los Angeles. I was in no mood to listen to that delusional comment, so I out loud I happen to say.... you are delusional, and my mom heard me. My mom has a way of rewriting history, and in her mind she truly believes that she bathed, toileted, and managed all my dad's needs in LA. Of course this wasn't true, as she had caregivers in the morning who managed all my dad's needs and when she took my dad out to eat, he was more independent then, and did not need direct assistance in the bathroom, like he does now. I suppose I should just let her live in her delusional state and most times I do, unless I have reached my limit. 

I took my parents out to brunch. When we arrived at the table, Cheryl, our server, decorated the tables with all sorts of Easter gifts for us. It truly brightened our afternoon and she made us feel special. 

The Easter Bunny was walking around greeting guests and I snapped a photo of my mom and Cheryl!

Me with the Bunny and Cheryl! I remember taking Mattie to Clyde's on Easter and he too took a photo with the Easter Bunny. It was a moment in time I will never forget! 

Cheryl snapped a photo of all of us. While at lunch, my dad had me hopping with napkins, tissues, removing garbage from the table (YES I travel with my own plastic bag to pick up after him at the table), and different food requests. I happened to make a joke about all this juggling I was doing and my dad said he is saying a prayer. Meaning he is saying a prayer that God forgives me for making fun of him. Again, I wasn't in the mood for his humor and I told him he should say a prayer for me because the average child would not alter her life to manage both his and my mom's needs. In fact, I told him if I was the person who needed the the kind of help they need, I am quite sure my parents would have institutionalized me. I am not being mean, it is simply the reality of my situation.

Peter sent me some photos from the sky, on his decent into Seattle!

The building circled in red is where Peter will be working when in Seattle.