Movement

There's movement in my life. It's not just that which comes from eating lots of fiber; and it's not from following politics less than a month from the presidential election. It's in just about everything.

I'm still enjoying a new job...the honeymoon one hopes will never end. There are projects and deadlines for important "stuff" that needs to be done. Everyone around me, including me, cares that we complete these projects in the best possible way and on time. Yet it's hard to meet everyone's expectations when they are not totally spelled out.

OK, that being said - we do our best. We're rewarded for doing our best with a decent paycheck in an indecent economy. Plus we enjoy our work and in my experience, it doesn't get any better than that in a work environment.

So where's all the movement? My family, for one place. We are moving and shaking. There's been an earthquake in our underpinnings. We're trying to hold onto dreams of the past - everyone for himself, but with our parents leading the way. OOOOPPPS - nobody told our parents. So now we young'un's are digging out to lead the way, and it ain't easy. We're intelligent but inept when it comes to making choices for our folks. Each lesson in our ineptitude makes us smarter and stronger. Maybe the lessons we learn while supporting our parents during this painfully difficult time will make us stronger so that by the time we are in their shoes, we win the game via an easy transition. The operative word is "maybe."

Today I believe the biggest challenge prior to the big wipe-out is for us to remember when our family relationships were all good, focus on friendships old and new, and on love and blessings - sharing humor with friends and family before, during and in spite of all the drama that comes with old age. Saving the good times in a healthy corner of our minds might be all that matters in the end.

Gary and I will list our home next week. We've had amazing support from family and friends who hoped as we did, that we could stay here, but who also understand, as we do now, that we must move on....We're in the best hands and we know there will be a quick sale. We'll move from this wonderful home we have loved to a new home we'll also enjoy, because that's supposed to be our experience this lifetime; we get what we ask for and at some level, we're asking for change.

We've decided to move to South Orange County because that's where our work is now. It's also where our church is and where many of our friends are. We know it's the right thing to do, and that knowingness makes everything easier to confront.

Mom is on Hospice now, along with Jack. The Hospice team keeps things UP and flowing. Hospice is not the "death sentence" that some people think it is. It's a great way to come to grips with end-of-life transition - for the patient and their family. Hospice isn't just for "the last few days," as my mom thought it was. Hospice may go on and on for months or even years, as patients confront living their last days comfortably and without going back and forth to the ER or into a nursing home all the time. It may last only days or weeks. Whatever - hospice makes life easier for everyone involved. I thank Silverado Hospice for helping me and my family to move through this part of the journey with my parents - day by day.

Movement...it's a good thing.