Since my brain aneursym explosion in May 2005, I've tried to fill at least part of each day with activities that seem meaningful. My volunteer work with North Country Life Flight fits that nicely but there are also the more subtle things and connections that happen each day. I pretty much feel that I'm living on borrowed time. I survived a fatal illness and am so lucky to be alive and functioning as well as I am. I try to overlook the dizziness and head pain/pressure that I live with and keeping busy caring about others is a great way to do it. The memory challenges I try to see as amusing although it is frustrating at times. I always say I'm never bored as everything is new to me. I can work for hours on project and have no memory of doing it. It's strange.
I've changed since that day in May. I was always pretty quiet, not one to talk much. It's different now and luckily I'm blessed with many friends and family members who take the time to hear me out. This blog fits in with that need to communicate. Every morning I start the day with a call to my daughter, then my sisters, then my soon to be 93 year old stepdad. He and I usually chat anywhere from 40-60 minutes - he does most of the talking. I used to call him several times a week but now I check in with him daily to make sure he's OK since he lives alone and is 75 miles away from me. I firmly believe that people need contact with others to thrive so he's part of my mission. When my Mom was dying of cancer I promised her I would look out for him and I've tried along with my sisters to do just that. He took great care of her throughout her illnesses and I hope I get to be a ripe old age as well and have someone who can help me "thrive."
I'm blessed with a great group of friends as well. From childhood friends I've reconnected with recently, former co-workers (we get together at least monthly for a meal), the friends who I credit with saving me at North Country Life Flight where I now volunteer, and other friends like Tom and Sheila who we will be getting together with tonight for an evening of music to celebrate Tom and David's birthday and all the rest I'm very blessed.
Last evening I enjoyed a meal out with ten of my former PBS co-workers at the Sawtdee Thai Restaurant in Plattsburgh. They have wonderful food, very fresh vegetables dishes with choices of chicken, beef, pork or tofu. We asked for separate checks and the pleasant and capable waitstaff would bring out our dishes announcing 'Diane's Cashew Chicken." We get together at least monthly, either at a restaurant or someone will offer to host a gathering at their home. It's always a nice get together filled with interesting conversation about current events, culture and of course good memories from our days of working at the PBS station. The times we had.... We have even brought some photos lately. I brought the photo album The Hawk put together for me on my 10th anniversary party at PBS. We greatly enjoyed looking through that and last night Kathy brought photos from her collection, last month The Hawk brought some too. So it's like family.
I even got a bonus hug last night from my blob muse (does that make sense?) Alyson M who was having supper with her hubby and came over to say hi. She and I will hopefully get together soon for our favorite Greek food. We worked together at a place she wrote a short story about. Her story reminded me of why I'm happy not to be working there any longer. But we had good moments there with some good people and got to study human behavior in some kind of scary and challenged by life people as well. That's a whole other story for another day.
Time for some meaningful house cleaning and I need to write a pen and paper letter to my mother in law (from my previous marriage) in California. I also need to write to my cousin Darwin in Texas. He sent several boxes of gifts to me to distribute to nursing home residents. I took one box to the nursing home in Tupper Lake, where he and I were born (the nursing home is the hospital we were born in - at least I know I was born there and I'm pretty sure he was as well). He sent two more packages this week and I will bring them over soon as well. It's so nice of him to take the time and expense of making a difference for those who might be forgotten at the holidays. I'm told that many residents get no visitors so these gifts may mean the world to them. This is meaningful.