journaling

Today is another of the rare occasions where I am using the #JusJoJan prompt, which is “journal.”

There have been a few periods in my life where I have kept a journal, most often in conjunction with a specific purpose, such as when I was studying Adult Psychology in college and it was an assignment.

There have been other times when I have substituted other modes for journaling. There were two friends, sadly both deceased for some time now, that I kept up email correspondence with when they were being treated for cancer. Due to their health struggles, there were times when the correspondence was one-sided, with my entries being much more numerous than theirs. I often thought that what I was writing would seem boring and mundane to them. Instead, as one told me, it was good to hear about everyday life when their own had been so derailed by illness. That gave me a new perspective on what I was sharing and an enhanced ability to find deeper meaning in daily activities and surroundings. I think this continues to undergird my writing today, both in prose and in poetry.

Since I started Top of JC’s Mind in September, 2013, blogging has frequently been similar to journaling for me. Because I write about what is at the top of my mind, I do often work through important issues in my life, albeit with editing that doesn’t usually happen with journaling.

I hope my readers don’t mind being along for the ride…
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Join us for Linda’s Just Jot It January! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2022/01/25/daily-prompt-jusjojan-the-25th-2022/

SoCS: blue

Since I was a child, my favorite color has been blue.

The color of my eyes and my mom’s and dad’s and sisters’.

The color of the sky at midday.

The color of some of my favorite clothes, although not jeans, which I never learned to like wearing.

I still like blue. I’m wearing it today.

But today, thinking of blue makes me think of how I’m feeling.

Blue.

Most of my #SoCS posts in recent weeks have been giving updates about my father, who is struggling to recover from falls, broken bones, infections, and we aren’t totally sure what else, while dealing with dementia and the wear and tear of ninety-six years.

I am doing everything I can to keep him as comfortable and content as possible and he is doing much better than he was ten days ago. We finally have the rest of his things in his skilled nursing/rehab room.

His Irish-themed banner and plaque are on his door, which makes it easier for him to find his room in the hall of similar-looking doorways. We finally got a temporary phone number working, although he needs help to answer calls and we aren’t sure if he can re-learn how to dial.

Baby steps.

It’s just hard for me not to feel blue. As much as I understand that this is just the journey we have been given in this last period of his life and that we are doing everything we can for him, I can’t help but feel sad.

All the time.

It’s hardest when I am with him, although I have a really good game face and manage to be cheerful – or seem cheerful – when I am interacting with Paco. He is sleeping quite a bit, which is probably good. Most of the time, he isn’t really aware of how much he has forgotten, so he is not blue, which is a blessing.

I am blue for both of us.
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Linda’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week is to use “color/colour” as a noun or verb or choose a color to write about. Join us! Find out more here: https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-24-2021/

Merry? Christmas

The usual Christmas greeting in the United States is “Merry Christmas!” Merry meaning cheerful, jolly, festive.

I am not any of those.

As I have been writing about in several recent posts, I offloaded many of my usual Christmas preparation tasks to other adults in the house, concentrating on the few that really needed my attention. To be honest, some, like decorating, I just could not bring myself to do; they are too evocative. We have many ornaments that came to us from B’s mom; this is our second Christmas without her. With my mom under the care of hospice and my dad, at 92, not getting around as well as he used to, this is the first Christmas in many years that neither my parents nor my sisters will see our decorated tree.

Much about this Christmas has been bittersweet. My daughters E and T were invited by the music director that they sang and rang handbells with as children and teens to sing with the adult choir at her current church for Advent and Christmas. It was lovely to have them sing at the late evening mass on Christmas Eve, two young women among a group that is composed largely of people old enough to be their parents or grandparents. It is wonderful for them to have a chance to sing together as they did for so many years, but we all know that it is likely the last time they will be living here together, as E and baby ABC will likely join L in London when E’s spousal visa comes through in mid-2018.

Father Clarence began the homily by recounting early memories of celebrating Christmas and how the family gathering changed and diminished over time through death and moves and other obligations. It reminded me that I have a lot of company in the bittersweet department.

It also caused me to reflect on something that has been difficult for me in this part year. People keep advising me to enjoy the time with my daughters and granddaughter and parents, setting aside any thoughts of what we know the future will/might hold.

I can’t.

While I know some people can concentrate on only the present moment, it is not a skill I have mastered. It’s not even a skill that I can convince myself I want to master.

One of the sweet moments today was watching ABC eat the filling from pumpkin pie with whipped cream for the first time. It matters to me that the recipe we use is the same one that my mom made for us for many years until we took over the holiday pie-baking duties. It matters that my mom was sitting on the other end of the couch, watching her great-granddaughter grabbing the spoon of filling and cream and enjoying the new food – after the first few bites when she was adjusting to the new taste and texture. It matters that B’s mom, who was always telling us stories about her friends’ great-grandchildren, passed away before ABC was conceived. It matters that next year, ABC may be in London for Christmas and none of us know which other faces will be missing from our holiday celebration.

While it might be nice to be “merry,” I know that I can’t give up my connections with the past and my realistic projections of the future to create a merry present. Today, I have learned that it is possible to be feel simultaneously bittersweet and content.

Wishing Christmas blessings to those celebrating and the gifts of peace and loving-kindness to all!

I feel for you

I think WordPress, Facebook, and other social media should institute a new button.

When someone has written a beautiful post on a difficult, tragic, or emotional topic, I don’t always feel qualified to comment, but want the writer to know that I have read the post and that I sympathize with them. I sometimes hit the “Like” button, but it always feels a bit unsettling. I don’t “like” that they are grieving a loved one or that they are dealing with chronic illness.

I want a button that says “I hear you.”  “I feel for you.” “You touched me.”  “You are not alone.” “I don’t like what you are going through, but I am thinking of you and sending you good thoughts.”

Anyone else with me on this?