A Week In The Life
I was not firing on all cylinders this past week. Monday morning I had some minor oral surgery. Afterwards, my mouth felt like I had been forced to eat an entire box of Cap’n Crunch cereal without milk in five minutes or less, followed immediately by eating the hottest slice of cheese pizza imaginable. Thankfully, my mouth feels better today.
Our dog Nova’s decline continues, and it has started to disrupt my sleep. Friday morning, worried that the veterinarian would not be available to us should we need them over the weekend, I made an appointment to have them lay eyes on my girl before the end of the day. I didn’t think we would need to say goodbye right then and there, but I needed their experienced opinion to reassure me that she would make it through another weekend.
When it comes to knowing when the right time is to let them go, my years of living with pets can be distilled into one sentence: “A day early is better than a day late.” So I’m being vigilant. I’ll be surprised if she is still with us this time next week. This sucks, but it has been a joy to have her in our lives, and I know that she has had the best life possible. This is an obligation from which I would never shy away. We’re doing things right.
I spent a few hours in the Denison Biological Reserve Saturday, walking the trails and having some thoughtful conversations with a few good men. The morning started off cool and breezy, warming up by 2pm when we all went our separate ways. All the walking, sun and fresh air made it easy to catch a much-needed nap when I returned home.
Despite my sadness, my lack of rest, my fuzzy mind state, I know what I need to focus on, work-wise in the days ahead. This clarity is reassuring. I may not accomplish as much as I would in a “normal” week, but I will work with focus, accepting the fact that the week will not be normal.
Regular readers of my essays will know that I like to reflect on each week, trying to discern some central theme and drilling into it a bit. Lately the themes have circled around grief and mortality. I feel like I have reached my current limit in examining them, and apologize for their repeated appearance. But Nova has been the star of the show this week.
I was tempted to skip the weekly writing ritual. Nobody wants to hear more of this sad shit from me. But a deadline is a deadline. I believe in showing up, even when I don’t have much in the tank. So here it is. See you next week.
Sunday Supper
My sore mouth was soothed by this soft, smooth Spring Risotto this past week. This Apple and Fennel Salad looks good. And this Thai Hot-and-Sour Coconut Chicken Soup looks distinctive and soothing.
Sunday Music
This morning vinyl/dub set is a good way to ease into this Sunday morning. This cover of Prince’s How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore is so well done. So too is this cover of the Goo Goo Dolls song, Iris. Enjoy!
If you know anyone who might like this essay, please share it with them.
Have a great week ahead! Offer support to others. Make good use of this day. And let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,