Adjustments

All of you are, of course, so right.

I guess it snuck up on me, feeling better and doing more.  A little more every day.  And even while I am no where near doing what I used to do in any given day, it is apparently too much for my neck, and my head.

Ack.

I know I am incorrigible.  But honestly, for most of this past 9 weeks, I have behaved myself pretty well.  Lately I might have pushed the envelope a bit.  And I needed reminding.......thank you.

Today I did very little.  And I went for a massage of my upper back, shoulders, and neck.  I am going again next week for a more extensive one.  It did feel great.

And I emailed the doctor and told him about this revolting development.

I want to tell you a story.  About Irene Hooper.

The reason you are hearing this story, is because I have heard it approximately 12 times in my lifetime, and figured once wouldn't hurt you.

I heard it again today, while taking my mother to her appointment.

When my mother was a little girl in England, she met a girl in the school yard, named Irene Hooper.  They became friends, and spent recesses together.  Irene was wearing a necklace, that my mother coveted.  She told Irene what a beautiful necklace it was, and asked her where she bought it.  Not sure why she asked, since my mother's family were poorer than church mice (pun intended, her last name was Church).   But Irene was happy to tell her, that she didn't buy it at all, she made it.

Then Irene offered to make a necklace just like it, for my mother.

Well, you can imagine, little Daisy Church was thrilled, and every time she saw Irene in the coming weeks, she asked about her necklace.

Finally, Irene said, it was almost done.  My mother was very excited.

Then, suddenly, Irene Hooper died, of rheumatic fever.  She was 9.

Daisy's first thought was:  now I'm not going to get my necklace.

Poor Irene.  Poor Daisy.

So, according to my mother, her shame at having THAT as her very first thought, has made her remember Irene to this day.

And now Irene lives on in her memory, and probably while everyone else has forgotten little Irene, my mother has not.

She hasn't forgotten the necklace, either.

So now you know.

I am intending to back up from here.   Doing less, resting more, massages, hot tubs, whatever it takes to get rid of this headache.

Hopefully, the doctor will answer me.  My guess is that he will direct me to do just that.

Flash back.

This is my grandson, on 8/11/11.   I took this picture, put my Nikon on a rock, and stepped into the water.

That's when my life went sideways.

Whatever complaints I had that day, about life in general, were meaningless.

My life was incredible.  I took it for granted.

Fifteen months and one brain surgery later, I know the difference.  

Don't take your life for granted.  It only takes a second for it to all change.