family

My attention has been drawn in a more focused way to my family in recent weeks. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes not so good.

My brother-in-law has cancer. Multiple myeloma. My sister and he have always been marginal financially. Now that he can't work as he goes through treatments, and the bills are rolling in, it is challenging in the extreme. They've had some assistance from their worship community- financial and practical- and some assistance from some charitable organizations.

And a lot of assistance from family.

Because that is what you do.

I've been working with them on organizing bills, applying for aid, navigating the health insurance and the Social Security application forms.

Taking my nephews out for movies and McDonalds.

My mom has been working on applying for aid, and my dad has come into town with his wife to be another driver for the various treatments.

I've been driving too.

I'm just back from a wonderful weekend with one of my daughters (and a couple of my alterna-daughters) and both of my sons (and a couple of my alterna-sons). And I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead, with my other daughter (and some alterna-daughters) and my sons (and some of my alterna-sons) coming together to celebrate my grandson's first birthday.

There are some days when I wonder how to escape from the crazy and the stress of family ties that bind and strangle.

Other days I cannot imagine how I would ever manage without the love and joy and hope and pride I enjoy with my dear, dear family.

Spinning plates- again

A few weeks ago, I started this blog post and then I got sidetracked because I was too busy spinning too many plates.
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Monday was a long hard day that ended with some wonderful news.*

Tuesday was a day of spinning plates. Remember Ed Sullivan? The novelty acts like the man spinning plates?

An act that was always popular, because so often life feels that way. Taking time to attend to one area, you risk having another area fall apart.

Tuesday I met with my mom to meet with the attorney to finally - after six and a half years- start the distribution of my great-aunt's estate.

After meeting with my mom, I got prepared for another rehearsal, scrambling to get everything done- to find the right balance of encouragement and threats to get the teen actors engaged and commited and working on their roles.-

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I lost track of that week. I know there were more rehearsals, and shopping, and working, and a set build session and meetings with my sister and her husband and making doctor and dentist appointments.

So busy spinning the plates, I lost track of the commentary on my act.


*the long hard day started with a painful doctor's appointment, and housework and long drive and longer rehearsal- and ended with the really wonderful news of my daughter's engagement. Totally worth it :-)

lips and ears

I am going to start wearing my earrings again.

Once upon a time, lipstick was the makeup essential. "Hang on while I put on some lipstick," my grandmother would say, before she would venture out to the mailbox.

Lips are alluring. Mouths and lips are sensual. We highlight our lips with liner and lipstick.

We (often) hide our ears with our hairstyles.

Yet, I'd like to listen more, and speak less.

So, I shall make it a month of earrings.

You've got my ear- see?

afterglow

It is odd to be lonely at the afterglow
of your own show.
I'm glad I brought a date.
I don't know if I am too scary or too distant
or just too old for this sort of thing.
Once it was I who was the center of
the inner circle.
Now I am the outsider watching rings form
away from where and who I am.
Once I was the nucleus binding us together
fusing oneness of disparate elements to create
wholeness
energy
that matters.
Now I find I am a
free radical
dangerous and damaging
decaying unwatched.