The last 3 days have been unbelievable.
On Friday, I woke at (6:30 AM) and worked the usual time (7AM-3PM).
It was an especially stressful day.
Immediately thereafter, headed out for a much-needed walk.
Midway through the walk, got a text from a family member.
Another family member was in a medical crisis.
Not an emergency, per se, but a situation where local healthcare would not do the job.
They needed to go to an urban hospital and be seen via ER.
For reasons unrelated to those circumstances, I was needed to drive them.
I walked home (quickly), showered (in record time), and drove to their house.
We left at 4:50 PM.
I arrived back home at 1:20 AM.
Saturday (yesterday) was similarly long.
I woke at the usual time (after about 4 hours in bed, sleeping prehaps half of that).
Big brother picked me up for breakfast at 6:50 as is our practice on Saturdays.
We met the two from the Friday incident at 7:AM.
Came home and changed clothes.
Met a friend to walk around the lake at 10:AM, as has been planned for a week.
Returned, showered, and got ready to once again accompany the others to the big city.
Follow-up testing was needed, albeit not via ER this time.
However, they decided to go without my help.
I remained in text contact throughout the day.
Today is Sunday. I went to bed last night a little before 9PM.
Woke a little after 7AM.
I still feel groggy and deeply tired, even after 10 hours' good sleep.
And I feel guilty, for getting good sleep, and for not going along yesterday.
And I feel sad and scared because my family member has been in a lot of pain and faces some uncertainty.
And I feel concern for my other family member, who is a champion worrier.
It's been a really tough summer.
One of my best friends died.
It was exceptionally traumatic.
I grieve his death every day.
As a direct result of this, a person I've cared about for a long time is lost from me.
One of my family members has gone through a cancer diagnosis.
They've survived what appears to be successful treatment.
Another family member has a very different cancer diagnosis.
Their treatment options are limited, and survival is uncertain—or unlikely.
What I want most is to curl up into a ball, figuratively and literally.
There's no time for that.
The lessons?
Surround yourself with the people you love.
Tell them how you feel and what they mean, by whatever means you can.
Time is limited; there is no 'someday'.
If it needs doing, do it now.
[the title quotation is by Paulo Coelho, from The Devil and Miss Prym]
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