April Flew by!
Holy week snuck up on me. I had planned to be off work through holy week, but then ended up working nearly 40 hours!
In the midst of working, I sang with the choir at church for Holy Thursday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday morning. It was a lot of fun and hard work to sing with the choir. Every time I join in with a choir, I remember how much I enjoy the sensation of making music and a joyful noise in the company of friends.
Our family gathered at mom's house for Easter dinner. It was a lovely dinner, although I found myself briefly overwhelmed with sadness as we said grace, missing dad at the table.
On Easter Monday, mom, Paul and I drove to New York to visit the Welshs. Actually, I drove. Mom and Paul were along for the ride. We were able to make it door to door in about 12 hours. I am glad to know that I can make the trip within a day on my own if I need to.
We had a great visit with Mary, John, Miriam and Cyprian. We went to the local park, bakery and shops. We went to the Bronx Zoo and the NY Botanic Garden. We saw the Orchid Show and the Children's Garden. I have a small terrarium on my kitchen table as a reminder of the trip.
It was also interesting to see Paul and his interactions with mom when she was in a wheel chair. He really wanted to be "in charge" of pushing the wheel chair. It made me both proud and sad at the same time. Proud because he wants to be helpful, but sad because he is a child and should not feel like he NEEDS to be in charge of pushing the wheel chair. He didn't want to run and play with Miriam and Cyprian, he wanted to push the chair. Don't get me wrong, I am glad to have his help, and I know that when he is truly old enough, he won't want to help. But right now, he is five (almost six) and he needs to be a child. When I am old, he can push me in a wheel chair. It is the realization that his role as a child is odd. On the one hand we want him to understand what is going on and to behave as a miniature adult, but really, he is not. He is a child.
It was good for him to be with Miriam and Cyprian because he was a child among children, not an only child. It was good to see him laughing and being silly. At home, there is not nearly as much laughter. I don't know what needs to change, but I think we need more laughter in our house.
The rest of April flew by in a flurry of work, gardening, housework and school activity. Soccer started again.
Running has gone well, too. I think I am ready for another 5k. I am wondering how much faster I will be this spring than I was last fall. I think I might be a good five minutes faster, but I will be glad to complete any 5k I enter.
I want to write more, but the rest of the things I want to write about are mush in my brains right now. I would ask you to pray for my friends Erin and Tom B. who lost their sweet little boy Noah unexpectedly. And I would ask your prayers for my friend Sandra G. who is facing testing for something that we pray will not happen. And for the parents of baby Avery - who died this week from SMA (www.averycan.blogspot.com) I want to write about Avery and the petition that her parents have put forth..... but I need to come up with words that will be loving and right now I am feeling more judgemental. I just have some thoughts that I want to compose carefully. Also I would ask for prayers for a little girl named Caitlyn (http://www.cheeringforcaitlin.com/). One of my co-workers knows this family, although I am not sure the connection.
So there you have it. A month in a nutshell.
Still struggling to cook, pray, run, and be patient with myself and others. Getting better at it some days and failing miserably others.
More sooner rather than later,
Sara
