God had a hand in me announcing a little bloggy break last week. A few hours after that post went live, we heard from dear friends about a tragic loss in their family.
Our hearts are heavy and, as I post about quasi-regularly on the blog, the world at large feels heavy, too.
It can feel wrong or disingenuous to look for good in the midst of suffering. But I think it is a way to honour the hardships of life.
Life is so hard. We lose people we love too soon. Plans crumble in front of our eyes.
And still… there is beauty.
THIS QUIET MOMENT
For better or worse, I process my emotions best by typing them out. The kids are out of school and schedules have been very disjointed. But right now, I have space. John and Belle are out for a walk. Indy is off biking with friends.
And I have time to sit and type and process a bit, and that feels like a gift.
KITTENS
The family who moved into our home while we were away had two cats. Unfortunately, because I’m allergic, they needed to find another place for them during their housesitting adventure.
Joy came to the rescue. Not only did she warmly welcome two cats into her pet-less household, one of the cats ended up having kittens. (They are almost certainly going to keep one of those kittens.)
CAN YOU EVEN?????
Since their birth—which happened while we were away—Indy has talked of little else besides his desperate desire for a kitten. Sadly, it won’t work for our family (allergies! I don’t have the bandwidth to care for another living thing right now!), but we went to see the kittens this week.
They are nothing short of delightful. All fur and fuzz and playful tumbles. They’re six weeks old and have found their feet and it utterly adorable.
BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS
One evening John and I had time for a little twilight stroll. We walked by a house with a relatively small front yard, but what made it stand out was the fact that the entire yard was full of flowers. It looked mostly wild—there were a lot of daisies!—which made it even more delightful.
THIS IS WHAT I’VE WAITED 4 MONTHS TO DO
One morning this week I took Indy and his best friend to play tennis. They can bike to the courts, but it’s a trek and it was hot. So I drove them and decided to stay while they played. I took some work with me, but primarily watched them rally back and forth.
They were so happy.
Indy had another friend eagerly waiting for a playdate, so I was trying to hurry along their tennis match to accommodate other plans. To which Indy looked at me and said, “Mom. I am having so much fun. This is what I’ve waited four months to do.”
We managed to make all the jigsaw pieces fit, and the tennis game went on for a long while after that comment. What he missed most was this time with his friend. And it was a lot of fun to sit and watch them.
WARM WELCOMES
I have a bad tendency to focus on one negative situation and discount a host of positive ones.
From hugs at church to neighbours stopping us to show us their gardens and ask about our trip, being warmly received means a lot.
CAA/”FREE” TOW
When I was picking up one of Indy’s friends this week and went to start my vehicle… nothing.
Well. Actually, there were a whole lot of warning symbols and error messages. I am hoping it has something to do with either the brakes (a bit seized after sitting for four months) or the battery. If not, it will almost certainly be a very expensive fix.
BUT, many years ago, we decided to invest in an annual CAA membership—the equivalent of AAA in the US. I did not want to find myself on the side of the road with John on another continent trying to figure out car issues.
It includes a certain number of “free” tows each year. So we called them up and made arrangements to have the vehicle towed.
A bonus happy thing: we had to leave our SUV and come home, and we thought we’d have to drive back to the SUV to be there when the tow truck arrived. But the driver happily rendezvoused with us closer to home so we could drop off the keys, saving us an unnecessary round trip.
BONUS HAPPY THINGS
- Receiving notes in the mail. I came home to letters from Julie, Nicole, and Maria!
- Sleep. What a blessing.
- Air conditioning.
- Kids old enough to make most of their own plans.
- One of Indy’s closest pals moved away last year, and now they’re back. I didn’t know when they were officially going to return, so it was a happy surprise to run into them earlier this week.
I know lots of people reading this are going through very difficult personal challenges; hugs from my corner of the internet.
Your turn.
- Tell me some Happy Things from your world this week.
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Oh no, so sorry to hear about your friends’ loss, Elisabeth. Indeed, just as well you were taking a break on the blog.
It’s strange how quickly blogging can feel insignificant when real life throws something heavy at you. And still, it often ends up being a useful outlet for sorting through thoughts and emotions. And in the case of this post, focusing on the happy things in life.
Those kittens!! I’m also allergic to cats, but I love admiring little kittens’ tiny paws (from afar). The cutest thing ever!
How happy were your parents to see you all back? I bet they were OVER THE MOON!!
My parents are so glad we’re back in Canada. They’ve moved back to New Brunswick for the summer (they only live locally to me a portion of the year), but I am itching to get to see them and have some time at the lake!!!
My dad has gifted us an AMA, and now BCAA, membership for Christmas every year since we got married. We haven’t used the tow yet, but it’s such a good thing to have just in case. I think you might remember the night my sons and their friends got stuck on an outdoor skating rink in the middle of a field in February? In the middle of the night? Thank goodness it was his friend’s mom’s car and not MY car. Anyway, AMA would not tow them since it wasn’t on an actual road. Note to teen boys everywhere: do not drive through a school field and end up on the outdoor skating rink.
What a dumb story. Ah, teen boys. Good times.
Happy things! The guys are going to Vancouver for some World Cup watch parties, so it will be just me and Rex for a couple of days! BACHELORETTE GIRL TIME (i.e., lots of Greek salad and reading). I am keeping this info from my MIL, who tends to think whenever Rob goes away that I’m “lonely” so she “pops by” to visit a lot. I’M NOT LONELY, I’M READING IN SILENCE. With no one telling me about World Cup upsets! Anyway, this IS a happy thing, although I’m making it weird.
I suspect we’ll have a few of those stories to come. Teenagers don’t always make… the best decisions.
Yay for Greek salad and reading. Time home alone sounds DIVINE. Enjoy it!!! (And I hope you MIL doesn’t stop by too frequently!)
Let me get this straight- Joy agreed to keep these two cats temporarily, and while they were with her one of them had KITTENS??? That’s like a dream come true! They are so incredible adorable, as all kittens are. The one in the second photo looks a lot like Sylvie! And it’s around the age she was when we got her- we think she was a little younger (maybe four weeks) but I see that kitten has blue eyes, just like Sylvie did. They change color at some point. Too bad you’re allergic, but I will admit that kittens are a lot of work, a lot of vet visits, and there’s some expense there. So- totally valid to say you’re not up for that (I would feel the same way if someone tried to give me a puppy- NO WAY.)
I’m so sorry for your friends. I hope it’s not the case, but “tragic loss” makes me think it was a young person. My heart really and truly goes out to them- I can’t even imagine.
Sounds like the kids are happy to be home! I hope you’re feeling a little more grounded now.
I am too lazy to think about vet visits and all the work involved with having a pet. A hamster was beyond my interest level (a beta fish has been perfect). We’re just… not designed to be pet owners at this stage. But having someone adopt a kitten that we know is the absolute best outcome. We can go visit, get snuggles, AND THEN LEAVE. No vet bills.
Smart people have emergency roadside assistance! We have it through our insurance, and I think of the cost as “good luck tax”.
KITTENS!!! Yes you’re spot on with having your hands full with your non-fur babies who you are not allergic to, but SO MUCH CUTE.
Yes to happy things in the midst of so many non-happy things. My heart goes out to your friends.
The only thing better than having a cat is having a friend with a cat! I am sure they will love having someone to play with the cat to his heart’s delight!!
You came back to such horrific news. Life does feel quite heavy right now.
Bright spots for me were 4 quiet nights in the house, knowing the boys were having a blast with their grandparents and watching the USA win its soccer match.
Oh goodness, the news of your friend’s loss sounds really bad, I’m so sorry.
I volunteer with kittens and OMG they are SO CUTE. I do not want a kitten, but I love how adorable they are. And Ted, like you, is allergic, so even if I wanted one, I could not have it.
We also have emergency roadside assistance through our auto insurance, and it definitely gives peace of mind. I’m glad you got such good service with yours.
Indy is so social, I know it has been wonderful to be able to spend time with his friends again!
I had a lovely week of staycation, though I didn’t spend nearly as much time just reading a book as I thought I would. Today’s my anniversary, not sure if I’ll get any reading done. Tomorrow is the 4th with family. Sunday maybe?
I’m so sorry for your friends’ loss, Elisabeth. The world can feel so heavy in big and small ways and these posts give such needed glimmers amongst all that.
A happy thing from here this week was that my little family navigated a both-parents-working-no-summer-camp week without my daughter melting down about being a lonely only child or bickering taking over our days. Seeing my girl be more independent and all of us not needing me to be as much of a “cruise director” feels great, even if it is a bit bittersweet.
My sympathies on your loss. I hope your friends have a strong group of family and friends to navigate this tough time.
Indy’s joy at being home with friends- we can find such happiness in the ordinary.
Oh, kittens are just the best- crazy, tumbling, soft ,snuggly. I hope to get to the animal shelter next week to play with- no, I mean- help socialize the kittens. Our big cats are wonderful, but kittens are just a treat.
My happy- my granddaughter was born! I get to see her next week. My daughter’s been sending lots of pictures to keep me happy.