Yesterday morning I woke up early a hotel in Cleveland, a 5 hour drive from my house.
(Incidentally, at which hotel was a fetish/leather/LGBT convention happening. Which is not something you want to wake up to. Nor go to sleep to, for that matter. Inappropriate dress is the mild way to put it. In any other context there would have been arrests made for indecent exposure. And that is not bigoted or exaggerated.)
We got the kids fed and dressed and were on the road before 8:00 in the morning. We had to get back home in time to go to LC's appointment with the pediatric surgeon for the lump in/on her arm. There was a cancellation in the office, and while we had originally planned to stay at the hotel until check out, we decided that getting into the surgeon sooner, rather than later, was the better deal.
We had smooth roads and clean sailing all the way home. We arrived back in town with over 1-1/2 hours to spare.
Time to eat lunch, start laundry, and have the 13 year old split his head open.
Three words...pea sized brain.
Teenagers....
He jumped and hit his head on the beam that runs through our basement. Upstairs, we heard the thump and felt the house shake. We asked what happened, and he said he hit his head, but that he was alright.
Snort....
A couple minutes later he comes up the stairs dripping blood from the top of his head. It was a gusher. Hair soaked with blood. Blood all over his hand.
We put ice on it, and decided to take him to the Urgent Care. I didn't know how we would butterfly it in his hair. I wasn't touching that one.
So, it is 1:40, LC's appointment is at 2:30, and we have one car. I dropped Brian and BMV off at Urgent Care, called the BFF to see if she could watch Freckles and Meres, dropped them off, drove to the appointment, parked, then ran like a crazy woman to the wrong building.
Then ran like a crazy woman, up a hill, to the right building, 2 blocks away. All the time hoping and praying that they wouldn't cancel our appointment because we were late.
I was on the verge-of tears. Panic. Cray-zay-ness.
Moral of LC's story/appointment is that she has a pilomatrixoma. It is probably the result of some trauma to her upper arm that no one can remember. It is scar tissue that won't go away on its own, and will probably grow until it is removed. She is having out patient surgery tomorrow. No biggie.
Sigh...
Yes. I did a lot of that yesterday afternoon. Deep "cleansing" breaths...Snort.
We got home, and I had insurance paperwork to do for all my kids. By dinner time I was all wrung out. My shoulders were stiff, and I felt like an emotional wreck. Like I was going to cry if I thought too much about anything.
I said to Brian...
"the only good thing about today is that we got home safe from Cleveland, and that there was no traffic to speak of."
Oh yes....
...and BMV didn't break his neck when he jumped and hit his head (he hit that beam that hard)
...and my kids (all four of them) had just been approved for insurance just last week.
...and Brian made dinner so I didn't have to.
...and the cleaners came while we were still gone yesterday morning, so my house smelled and looked clean when I walked in. (and now I don't have to worry about cleaning in the midst of traveling, working and doctor's appointments)
...and LC had a good diagnosis from the surgeon and got booked for surgery this week.
....and we got a check in the mail.
...and we had friends praying for us while we were neck deep in staples and blood and appointments.
...and the BFF was able to watch Freckles and Meres at the drop of a hat so neither had to be hauled to either place.
...and I got to have a 5 hour long road trip with my husband, which means 5 hours of good conversation.
...and the pediatrician office staff showed me grace for running late.
...and I tucked into my own bed last night, with my own husband.
Yeah, when I stop to think about it, that is quite a few good things.
I keep going back to that verse...the joy of the Lord is your strength. Obviously, a lot went wrong yesterday, but focusing on all that just pulls me down. Focusing on the good, choosing joy, lifts up my soul.
The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning, it's time to sing your song again.
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me, let me be singing when the evening comes.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul...
