Somehow, life goes on...

It amazes me how quickly life can change, how one week we can skip merrily along, enjoying our houseguests and busy lives, and the next, disaster! We get up in the morning and go to work, see patients, teach classes, attend classes, fly planes, and then, a flood! I am speaking in the last sentence about Tracy and her household, with Jeff flying for FedEx during this mess. He got home on Friday to face the aftermath. I have not spoken with him yet, not even to wave since we were so busy yesterday in our own house.

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So, anyway, Friday I went and got a haircut while Maggie washed and dried the mopping towels from my house and Gus's, since my washer would not work on cold water. (Butch came yesterday and found that the water screen inside the hose was plugged with rust 'n junque from the pipe breaking, simple fix). In my mind it was wacky for me to consider getting a haircut only 24 hours after the flood disaster! And Tracy with Cassidy was going to lunch with MamMa and then getting massages. There really was nothing else we could do once the machines were in place and doing their thing. Besides, of course, going through our wet boxes and belongings to save what we can. But, life went on, people went about their normal lives despite the drama in our lives here in The Palace.

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After Timmy died, my friend, Carol, told me a story about when she delivered her twins and was driving home from the hospital. They went passed the Burger King on the corner and she looked inside, saw people sitting around and talking, and eating. She thought, "What is the matter with you people??!!??? Don't you know my baby died and my other baby is fighting for his life???!!!??" Basically, how can you sit there and go about your lives when mine is upside down and my heart torn out?

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A few weeks after Timmy died, one of our customers, Delores, whom we were quite close to through the entire building process, stopped by the office to drop something off for us, a sympathy gift, I think. She asked Betty how we were doing and Betty said that Roger was in his office if she wanted to see him. He told me later that Delores asked him when he was coming back to work full-time again and he was embarrassed to acknowledge that he was pretty much back full-time already. I know, there are no rules and we all deal with things in our own ways. But, that is when it hit him, too, that life somehow goes on. No disrespect to Timmy or to me, but we had a business to run, you know? And hair to be cut, lunch to be had, and massages to soothe the weary bones and backs!

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The folks in WI and MN whose homes are being washed away in flooding from the torrential rains would scoff at our dilemnas here, with our soggy floors and damaged personal items. And a few months ago I was all distraught when Jessica and Travis' ice machine malfunctioned and caused water to drip into my unit. Such a minor matter now, no harm, no foul for me, extra cleaning got done which was needed, and it was over. But at the time, it was a problem. By comparison? No match!