Same here in Northern Va. Rain, rain. Hate rain! So my daughter was supposed to go to Va Beach this weekend. She lives/loves the beach.
But the rain kept her home. Their big screen TV just broke (the often sit and watch old movies, etc) so she and her amazing husband packed up the 3 teenagers and 1 seven year old and went into D.C. to the art gallery.
Because they love their momma, they all went...begrudgingly but kinda happily. Ha!
She just texted me a picture of all of them together in D.C. She (and my other girls) tell me that I was their model for being the kind of mom they try to be.
All of us Mom's know that's like hearing the Angels sing when we hear that from our daughters. That's better than any gift or flowers. I think we can all agree.
My daughter's look young anyway (heredity). But the oldest looks very young. She's soon 46 years old and she still gets carded when she wants to buy a beer. In the picture, I had to enlarge it because I honestly thought they'd taken one of the teenager's friends with them.
I don't know about any of you but I'm happy just being here in my house moving back and forth from couch/big tv and computer to bedroom/tv/sleep number bed back and forth.
I enjoy being alone. I got used to it when first married because my late husband worked 2 jobs and went to college at night. I worked during the day for 7 years. Then when we had our first baby, I quit and never went back to work.
Eventually, he sold his company and started several businesses. He traveled when he wanted and I loved being home with my girls. When we wanted to travel together he was his own boss and we'd travel for even a month at a time.
Life is what you make it. If it turns out what you don't like and aren't happy with you don't dwell on it, you move on.
I used to tell my girls. Enjoy your life. Don't wish the days away but if the day stinks, look forward to tomorrow because it will get better.
It's worked for me and it can work for everyone. I hate to think of the lonely people out there.
I met a lady the in the Drs waiting room on Thursday. She was all bent over, collar around her neck using a walker. Yet she was smiling. We talked for a few minutes. Then when she came out of his office we talked again. In those maybe 10 minutes I learned so much about her.
She lost the 'love of her life' two years ago. It took her until she was 38 years old to find him. They never had children but she was so happy. She has no family here in this area but is moving in 2 weeks to Annapolis, Maryland. She has one cousin there. She is going to go to Johns Hopkins Hospital to get the help she needs. She used to be 5'6" tall and now (due to her back surgeries) she is 5'2" tall.
I will think of her off and on maybe forever. There are so many people I meet and talk to like that. We met, we talked and I'll never see her again. But she has a tiny piece of my heart.
I sit in that waiting room and watch people on their cell phones not looking up, not talking and THAT's what makes me sad. They are missing out on life.
I also talked to a man in his maybe late 40's. He had on a construction T-shirt with lettering of the business, work shorts and boots. He walked up to the glass enclosure and was talking to the office manager. Where we all sit we are maybe 2 or 3 feet from the front desk. You hear everything. She said, "You owe $175 for today." He said, "OK, here's my credit card". Then she said, "You owe another $500 from before". He said, "Can I pay you next time? My wife just started a new job and hasn't gotten paid yet?" The office manager said, "Well.....". He said, "Look! We just don't have it now. I know I signed an agreement and will pay it. Just give me time". She finally said, "OK".
When he sat down a few chairs from me. I said, "It's terrible to wish your life away, isn't it? If you had Medicare, you probably wouldn't have to pay any or at least as much". He agreed. Then we talked for a few minutes.
It was that personal touch that shows, "I understand things are difficult right now". That's all I was doing.
I could tell you more stories but I won't bore you anymore.
That kind of talking and one on one is important and that's what lacking today. We are all sitting right there in a small room. I'll never see them again. I go there about ever 3 weeks and I've never seen the same people.
The pain some of these people endure is unbelievable. It's emotional and physical pain. But just to talk to them for a minute or two I believe helps a little. I can tell if someone wants to stay to themselves. I'm pretty good at it by now. I respect totally that. I don't bother people, just a smile and sometimes holding a door, etc.
I wish more young people would get their heads out of those phones and look around. It's not just young people, I see 40, 50 and a few 60 year old's now.
I keep hearing that more people than ever are committing suicide. Especially young people. It's horrible. I think if we would start talking more to each other, just a few words here and there, we'd see, the more we're different, the more we're alike.
Phew! I'll shut up now.
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