Quiet Calm

Occasionally, I am lucky enough to realize how great my life is. Yes, I have a chronic illness. Yes, many things that I loved to do have been "taken" from me. Yes, I all too often can't be the husband, dad, son, brother, friend, teacher, athlete, man, or person that I want to be. But, I am blessed. I have a good life. My partner loves me despite my many flaws. The young woman we are raising continually blows my mind with her brilliance, wisdom, and compassion. I also have tons for friends, a job I love, and innumerable joys that dancing in and out of my life.

Today has been a great day to reflect on all of that. My wife feels much better and her stomach thing truly appears to be a 24-hour bug. We enjoyed a lazy morning of getting ready for our trip to Duluth. The ride up was also enjoyable. I had rich, earnest conversations with the love of my life and my parents. Even when we arrived in Duluth and my parents began acting like petulant teens, the Bed and Breakfast we are at is one of my favorite places in all the world. Then, we had Sammy's Pizza (yum, but I do need to stop eating gluten again SOON) and had a lovely night with my grandmother, who is nearing ninety.

Now, I am in the sitting room of the B & B. My wife is resting upstairs, my daughter is having fun with my dad, I just had a lovely cup of mint tea, and many dear friends sent me notes on Facebook. My mother (oddly, but not surprisingly) is cleaning and organizing things in the B & B. It's who she is. I do hope to chat with her soon about mental health, but tonight would not be a good time. I am sure she has had some brandy, and she is furious with my dad because of something that happened when they left Portland. Hopefully, they will both enjoy each other's company tomorrow.

Maybe, what I am most grateful for tonight is that I continue to activity work to have a healthy mental outlook. So much of what I see in my mother, I also know is in me. But, I work daily to challenge those traits and to let go of the compulsion to "take care" of the world. I do hope that talking to her will get her to consider therapy and medication, but I feel grounded enough to know that I can't control what she does. I can only control my reaction. Both my parents have been driving me nuts tonight, but I still salvaged my evening. I turned my attention and energy to things that matter to me, rather than spending it on their problems. Ironically, their actions and behaviors (irritating as they are) also qualify as gifts to me. I continue to learn from them, even at forty. Granted, I am learning how NOT to act, but it is a gift nonetheless.