People watching at the hospital

I spent a little bit of time at the local hospital today. I happened to be sitting at the coffee shop near the front door for about 15 minutes. Not a magazine or newspaper was to be had, so with coffee in hand, I people watched.

It wasn't hard to do. I was facing the main door. And quite the cast of eclectic characters came forth.

One young gal came in wiping her eyes. Boy I can relate. I've been there before when worried about someone having gotten hurt. I felt empathy for her and shot some good luck vibes her way.

There was the older lady that came in with her daughter. They had a lot to talk about in a pleasant manner, so looks as if their day was going ok.

Then there was the really thin fella with some kind of IV bag tied to him. That had to be awkward. But I could tell it was all old hat for his mom and himself as they made it calmly to the outside door.

None of this was old hat for me. At all. I feel totally foreign in a hospital setting. I don't fear it, it's just that I haven't frequented one all that often. I've been blessed with exceptional health all my life, so when I do go into one, there's always a lot to take in.

And this one guy had me doing a second take. On either side of him were police officers so I inspected a little closer. He was handcuffed. AND his feet were shackled together. He was doing a pretty good pace for shuffling along.

When he walked past, we made eye contact. I had to wonder what he was thinking. As for me, I felt this coldness sneak around me and I actually shivered. And then I thought. The image of him wouldn't go away.

How on earth could someone mess up so bad in life to warrant earning this kind of loss of life? What did he have to look forward to when he woke up each morning? Where are the hugs and laughter from family members? There's so much life to live! And here he was, chained up like a common criminal from a TV movie. I didn't even want to think about what he had to do to achieve where he was.

I felt off. I suddenly morphed into the loss of his life. It felt like I was falling into a bottomless chilly dark well.

I took another sip of coffee and decided right then that I need to really enhance upon Cody what kind of awesome life we lead. We have each other, we have for the most part great health with only minor glitches, an awesome home, wonderful things to wake up to, and someone to hug before turning in for the night. Suddenly, I missed my boy very much. It was time to go.

Bless all those good folks that work at the hospital and take care of the hurt masses. They are special indeed. And I was sure appreciating them today.

It never ceases to amaze me how everyone carries a different strength throughout life. Want to also appreciate a nurse, doctor or volunteer at the hospital? Go sit in front of the main entry. I guarantee you'll know exactly what I mean within 15 minutes.

An island full of homework

Oh... the house is so quiet! With two 9 yr old boys inside of it. Why the quiet you ask?

There's something that makes me just giddy about seeing this awesome island being used for something so substantially useful!

What can I say? I'm in love. With them and the island. I simply have it all today.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom is one sweet lady. We celebrated her 82nd birthday today with some family members at the local Dairy Queen, which is her favorite fast food place.

Mom is very much loved by many. She has the type of personality that makes you feel she's been waiting for you all day. You most definitely know you are loved, when you're around my mom.

When Cody was first born, Mom use to frequently come and visit for weekends. We lived about 45 min from each other at the time so it's not that it was a terribly long drive. However, our visits were always about spending quality time with each other. She enjoyed coming and staying at the farm I had at the time, and grasped the opportunity to be a part of Cody's upbringing. The two of them would wander around the property, creating pictures out of rocks, picking moss off old trees, finding long lost toys embedded in the vast sandbox. They always found ways of having creative adventures together without having to go too far.

Times are a little different these days. With renos that continue on with my house, as well as single parenthood, added restraints have reined on my time. However, Cody and I love to go to visit her once a week if we can, to enjoy her company alongside a dip in the clubhouse pool and hottub. Different location, but same good company. She's always got a smile and warm hug ready for our arrival and always there for our eventual departure.

One of the most endearing things I find about her is when we drive off after a visit. She will stand on the road and wave until we are out of sight. Each and every time. During one of our visits, as we were getting ready to leave, I coaxed her to go ahead inside to stay warm as it was stormy outside. After ensuring she was in safe and sound, off I turned towards my truck. As we drove down the road, I quickly glanced at my mirror. I just knew. And I had her pinned pretty well. She was out on the road, waving yet again. Even if we hadn't turned to look, she had and was. Is that love or what?

My mom is my biggest fan. And she couldn't be a better friend. Having her for a Mom is simply icing on the cake.

And Mom, if you happen to read this on another's computer, we love you and are proud of everything you do! See you soon!

Love, Donna & Cody xoxo