Life as We Know It

Today I am grateful:

1. We are picking up my mom tonight as she's heading in to help for a couple of weeks. When Mom's around, life is easy. She's so kind and nice to have around. She buzzes around the kitchen cooking and doing dishes. She cuts up salads like none other--tiny little pieces. She even shreds the carrots. Who shreds the carrots?? And she will do my laundry and keep up with the vacuuming.

Maybe she'll decide to move in with us for the next few months.

2. Savana is asleep in her bed. She's weak and terribly thin. She can hardly eat and she needs to take a nap after taking a shower as standing for fifteen minutes wears her out. But she's alive. She is out of the hospital and off of oxygen and we can have the lights on. The past ten days are a blur in my head--filled with images of the highway and white coats and stethescopes and IV's and machines that beep. The past ten days are a swarm of tears and moments of panic and, finally, the reality that all will be well. And it is. She has a road ahead of her to regain her strength...but she will get there. And that is a beautiful thing.

3. A community of friends near and far. If this past ten days showed me anything, it showed me that. So many peopled shared their love by Facebook messages and Facebook comments and phone calls and hospital visits and flowers and helping with Jace. I know Savana was lifted up in prayer around the nation and I am so touched by so many caring hearts. I don't begin to know how to say thank you thank you thank you.

4. The amazing people I work with every day. I have zero vacation time at this point as I've only been at my job for a little over a month. But when I went to work bright and early Monday morning, one of the lawyers that I work with, Hanna, came by my desk and said, "Vonda, you should go be with your family. They need you right now."  I explained how I don't have any sick time accumulated nor do I have vacation days. She laughed and said, "That doesn't matter. We all understand." Not even five minutes later, my boss came by and said, "Vonda, go home. I'm not asking. I'm telling. Come back when you're in a better place. Work will still be here." And so I did. I left, so touched by these kind people that I have the privelege of working with five days out of the week. They are all a whole lot of wonderful.

5. It stormed last night. Thunder shook the roof of our home and rain pummeled down. Jace and I stood at the front door and watched it for a few minutes, both of us grinning ear to ear, as nature unleashed. 

6. I went to a baby shower last night for Zach and Riley McDonald. And I couldn't help but revel in the excitement of a new life. Riley is pregnant now as she is due any day but she is beaming with the prospect of so much joy ahead of her. Life is filled with beauty...so much beauty. 

7. Roy and I went for a golfcart ride last night just before sunset. We rode through campus, talking the whole way. He's my best friend. Gosh I'm a lucky girl.

8. As Roy and I were riding on the golfcart, we stopped for a moment and looked at APCS--all the lights off and kid-free. My thoughts envisioned how the school will look in a few short weeks--bustline with running kids and activities and art projects and music and sports and so many good things. I am so glad that Jace has such a great place to call his own. I am so thankful for Erin who is taking the challenge of leading the "ship." I know she's going to be spot-on amazing and I can't wait to watch her shine. Yay!!! that Jace gets to be a part of her regime. That, too, is a whole lot of wonderful.

9. Savana's car will be out of the shop today. She was riding down the road in front of McDonald's just before she got sick and a driver didn't see her and pulled out directly in front of her. (July wasn't Savana's month.) But the good news is Savana and the other driver were both just fine. The car? Not so much. But, $5000 later (which didn't cost us a dime, thankfully), her car is finally finished. Roy is picking it up today and surprising Savana with it. She was provided a rental car free of charge as well and that car has been a blessing in the midst of this past bit of craziness. But today? It marks the end of this past adventure. Life is getting back to normal. 

10. Life as we know it. Everything can change on a dime. Life as we know it can become a whole different set of circumstances in the blink of an eye. But our normal hasn't changed. There's a temporary hiccup as Savana regains her strength. But the good news is, she will regain her strength. She will be as good as new in a bit. It could have been otherwise. It could have been a whole new world for us. 

But it isn't.

And I am grateful. So so very grateful.