“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years.”
~ Unknown (often incorrectly attributed to Abraham Lincoln)
Sometimes being an only child is great. This is not one of those times. I’m writing this from my mom’s hospital room in Rifle. She had a stroke early Monday morning (and will be mad at me for mentioning it, but it is what it is). I’ll be in and out for the next week or so as we figure out what needs to be done to assure that both of my parents are safe and taken care of when they get home, and evaluating what happens from here.
As is usually the case in times of crisis, I have too many tabs open on my brain browser and thoughts are flying all over the place, so I’m just going to bullet-point the highlights.
• Everyone is replaceable at work no matter what you like to tell yourself. Someone will step up and take care of things in your absence, and if they don’t, does it really matter?
• The roles people fill for us, however, are not replaceable. That’s something to keep in mind as we go about our busy little lives avoiding uncomfortable conversations.
• Clear the “air” in your relationships, lest you find the person you’ve been holding a grudge against hovering over your hospital bed. Just a thought. I have my own list, I’m sure you do, too.
• Get all your documents and directives in one spot so that your panicky family isn’t scrambling to find your insurance card while you’re being wheeled away on a gurney. (This is also wise advice for fire preparedness, as many of us learned last summer.)
And last, but certainly not least: life is hard; be kind.