I wasn't sure I was going to write a gratitude post today, but then I was thinking of something I said to my girlfriend last night. We were a table of six. Six decades old friends around the table on a summer's night. The reunion was happy, but there was an undercurrent of sadness and herein lies the reason I was struggling with gratitude: I wish I could be more grateful. Treatment is not going well for one of us and I fear she is not so much losing hope as facing reality while still trying to be the pillar of strength that she is. It breaks my heart. But seeing her cute gray pixie and hearing her belly laugh, well I cannot deny I am grateful for that. And that's what I said last night: the totality of this last year begs the celebration of the little things, the beautiful moments, the sparks of joy even when they're tinged with sorrow.
Saying goodbye after our few hours together was incredibly tough, but we have plans to meet again at the end of the summer...a same time as last year scenario. Last August we traveled to Arizona on my birthday. This year we're visiting the spa. It doesn't really matter where we go. There is just comfort in knowing our goodbye was temporary. Goodbye for now.
I came home to see Gus up and about. He's been in a stupor all week sleeping around the clock. The vet called it a virus and treated his fever with antibiotics and fluids. Finally, he is feeling better, and while I cannot deny his extreme cuddly nature this week will be missed, I am grateful to see the return of his signature spunk.
And the last bit of good news this week came from the Grainger School of Business. The third time was a charm: Teddy was finally accepted into the business school and will complete his under graduate education at the University of WI- Madison. I'm more excited than when he was accepted initially. He humbly noted that he knew he would get in this time. I wish I had a smidge of his optimism. I could trade him some of my gratitude.
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