You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Now.

May 13: philoprogenitive

My best friend from college is a philoprogenitive person, her love for children expressed beautifully in the way that she and her husband raise their confident, funny, smart, affectionate daughter. 

{Happy Mother's Day!}

     This has been a hard week. I'd imagine that if I keep starting my posts that way, y'all are going to start wondering what the hell I'm doing wrong, or else maybe if I'm just overreacting. This week, though, it's all true. Work was wretched. My head hurt off and on for days. I literally ran out of money somewhere early in the week. I struggled to keep up with various social engagements while still having time to do the things I've committed to do on my own. The Beast had a serious medical issue and I wanted to be there for The Cat, but I would've been in the way (and he was back home remarkably quickly) so I did my worrying at home.
     Finally, a friend's family member has been ill. After seeking an answer for his problems - which are complex and at times seemed incompatible with any one diagnosis - locally, he sought the advice of specialists at a university hospital earlier this week. Now he knows what's causing his symptoms, but it was not good news. My friend is understandably upset, and it's really hard to see her like this and not be able to do anything. It's also got me thinking about my own family, and those who I hold dear. Not only that, but how I've been prioritizing my life lately. What am I wasting time and energy on, and what am I letting slide, that's really much more important? And what am I missing, trying to live my life without?
     I do know one thing: if you've got somebody you love nearby, you're a fool if you don't let them know how you feel about them while you can.

[the title quotation is by Joan Baez]