“We Can Write & We Can Share It All With You!!!” Tuesday, September 22, 2008
I woke up this morning so sure that today was Wednesday that I called Hospice to make sure that they would have the books ready for me. I then realized that I had missed the Grieving Children’s and Teens group yesterday evening and called our supervisor apologizing profusely on his answering machine. I suddenly realized it was Tuesday!!! I called them back. Jake laughed and said he would not tell anyone. We shall see this evening!!! Yes My Dearest, You are laughing with us too@@@
When I realized that I had the day, We, Harry and I, simultaneously said, “We Can Write & We Can Share With All Of You!!!” Where do we start? I/We are so optimistic now. Our energy has really changed. Several things happened during our telephone conference with Joyce. (Barry could not be with us.)
First, I told Joyce that I had just had my semi-annual physical with my doctor. I have it semi-annually because I take medications for high blood pressure. Actually I also have white coat syndrome. My blood pressure shoots up when I am in a doctor’s office. This time it was down 50 points. Yeah!!! Not enough to take me off medication but much better. But . . . my blood tests revealed I again had pre-diabetic tendencies. Jenn, our daughter-in-law who is an OB-GYN, said that I would not have those symptoms if I lost some weight and exercised. So even before I had gone for the appointment I had devised a plan:
Ø For my weight – Go on the South Beach Diet, hopefully losing 20 pounds by Christmas. As I write this I have already lost 2 pounds!
Ø Exercise each day – either a walk or using my rowing machine
Ø For my high blood pressure – Yoga each day
Ø Meditation each day
My doctor totally approved. Harry, are you going to help? I love you so@ Joyce was thrilled!
Joyce and I then talked about my physical loneliness and my need for more structure in my life. I told Joyce that every night, especially when Harry had been sick, we would open one of their books and read. There was always a message for us. Harry would read to us early in our marriage and sporadically since. I loved it. I told Joyce I had opened Shared Heart recently to the section about her pregnancy with their second child. As I told her this, my heart skipped a beat. “I/We are pregnant.” What?!?! Not physically of course, but spiritually. There is something that I or We will give birth to in the Spring! – our book, an organization, a relationship? I don’t know and don’t need to know. Winter is the time for the seed to and gestate, to be deep within the mystery of dark Mother Earth, to absorb Her energies in preparation for New Life In The Spring. This feels so right to Joyce and me. Yes, you too my Dear@ The two or rather three of Us giggled with deep Joy. We couldn’t wait to tell Barry!
Close to the end of the conference I interrupted Joyce and asked if I could change the subject. We had been talking about Obama. She naturally said, “Yes.” I asked her if I/We could be a part of their mentorship program which they started last year. This is very intense group counseling work led by them.
v The mentorship starts in November and ends in April
v There are 14 participants in the group, plus Barry and Joyce
v Three 4 day group sessions, usually held in their home outside San Jose, CA
v Three conference calls in which the entire group participates
v Weekly calls in-between with a partner
After warning me about the travel to the West Coast, Joyce and I were ecstatic. Yes My Dear so were you.
v I/We would be in their home
v With people we deeply love
v I will have the love and support to keep to my plan for preparing my body
v This will be during the gestation period of my/our “pregnancy”
And most excitedly, (Danny Boy, Our favorite song, is playing on our CD player. There are tears of deep Joy in Our Hearts@@@) We will be going to Hawaii with Barry and Joyce!!! – Something Harry and I had wanted to do for the last two years of Harry’s physical life. Barry and Joyce have a couples retreat in Hawaii each February. Three years ago we planned to go, but that year we bought Harry’s lath with the money. And I/We are so-o-o thankful we did. Turning exquisite wood bowls became Harry’s retirement passion! So we planned to go the next year. Harry had just been preliminarily diagnosed with cancer. When they took a biopsy of the lung, his lung was punctured. He was told that he could not fly for six weeks. Again we couldn’t go to Hawaii. Yes My Dear, me too. I can hardly see to write. Tears are welling up in my eyes “and Our Souls.” Now it is our turn to go to Hawaii with our dear friends Barry and Joyce and our group for we will be doing the second group session of the mentorship in Hawaii!!! Harry and I, Joyce and, I know Barry are ecstatic@@@
What more is there that can be said except to say,
We Love and Bless each of you
Anne & Harry Very Much Here In Spirit
