It's Nice to be Back....Thanks

It's been a few days -- 775 to be exact. 

It's been a wild 775 days! So many wonderful things have come about: revelations and vacations, acquisitions and transitions, graduations, new relations, and baby creations.

My granddaughter, Sweetpea, might as well be a meme. I will have a whole new generation of posts reminiscent of her mother, aunties, and uncle Buddies dedicated solely to her. The kid is two and already has impeccable comedic timing....unlike her predecessors who were unintentionally entertaining. 

My grandbuddies entered the world (albeit prematurely) with a big "PSYCH!" Having been told one would likely have an intellectual disability and the other's viability was questionable, we prepared for the worst. The "worst" turned out to be 3 kidneys between the 2 of them. So, we took to calling GrandBuddy #1 Spare Parts. 

Hubby and I had THE (with a long E as grammatically incorrect as that is given the next word begins with a consonant) best summer. Having secured a gorgeous lake side trailer site entirely devoid of cell signal or Wi-Fi, we got to do old-fashioned-y stuff like playing cards, watching DVDs, and talking to each other! 

Second-born and Smallest girl (who is noticeably taller than me now) both graduated highschool and moved on to their next chosen life stages. You may remember Second-born from the Parenting Penguins post...she hasn't changed. Smallest girl was featured in Minding my q's and p's and The Devil is in the Details...she has. In both cases, I couldn't be more pleased.

The Buddies are 17. Neither have gotten into any serious trouble. 

I achieved a goal almost 30 years in the making. Next week, I will receive my college diploma. It was a piece of cake! Well, a few pieces actually; along with convenience meals, enormous amounts of caffeine, insanely sparse sleep, and zero physical activity (unless 4 semesters of typing class counts, I have very well-toned fingers now).

Not everything has been wonderful. 

First, and most importantly, I haven't had time to blog! 

Also, and more seriously, those whom are most precious to me have suffered. Greatly. 

Traumas I never imagined needing the wherewithal to endure have both crept up to and slammed into us.

I have always accepted the realness of mental health issues and promoted the diagnosis of disorders, advocated to remove stigma and endorsed treatment. I can't imagine what life would have been like for key people these past 775 days had I felt any differently. 

One of my loves got up close and personal with the Canadian justice system from the perspective of the victim of an incomprehensible heinous crime. 

A tragic incident left a family member facing a seemingly impossible recovery.

Cancer diagnoses in two dear-to-my-heart people, resulting in the loss of one. 

At the end of these 775 days, all of these things -- wonderful and tragic -- have prevented me from remaining as present and available as I would have liked; and, not surprisingly, as some others would have liked. 

I have finally reached the point where I have emerged from the chaos! However, I have found fewer people waiting for me in the calm. 

That's ok. 

I just want to paraphrase what an understanding, grace-filled friend shared with her circle in case anyone needs it like I did.

(Women) are struggling to keep their heads above water every minute of every day. We need to quit dismissing people as unworthy of friendship because they seem distant or disconnected. The idea that we can't be friends because she "doesn't check in enough" or "doesn't initiate like I do" is ridiculous. My friendship is expectation-free. I will meet you where you're at. If it means I wait a month for a reply to a message I initiated, so be it. If it means rescheduling coffee for a year, I'm down. I will always greet you with joy when you're ready. You will always have my love and support. 


XO




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