Weekends

Weekends -- us 9 to 5 people live for our weekends.  I usually return to work on a Monday morning feeling refreshed and ready to hit the ground running but that's not the case today.  My weekend was gone in a blink of an eye and I was so busy, I feel like I didn't even have any time off.

In the summer my employer is nice enough to allow staff to work 4 ten hour days in order to have an extra day off during the week.  I decided to take advantage of this offer (this makes the 3rd or 4th time I've done this).  Getting up at 4:30 during the week is not all that great but when that fifth day rolls around and you get to sleep in, ahhhhh, it's all worth it.

Usually on my day off I like to do something fun.  I sleep in, take my son to breakfast, then we go see a movie or do some shopping.  If he doesn't want to hang out with me, I will go get a mani/pedi or something else to pamper myself.  Oh, and a nap.  There's always time for a nap.  It is glorious.

However, this weekend was different.  Friday was spend doing yard work; mowing, trimming, weeding, getting sun burned.  I'm not as young as I used to be and my muscles are definately saying, "What in the world??"

Satuday our dog escaped around 9 AM.  She shot out the door like a bullet and was gone.  Of course this happened when we were already running late for an appt.  No time to look for her, we left hoping when we came home she would be at the door waiting for us.  No such luck.  Eight hours later, still no sign of her.  Finally around 7:30 we got a call that someone found her.  She's not walking all that great.  I'm not sure if she's just sore from running around for over ten hours or if there is actually something wrong.  My daughter is taking her to the vet today.

Sunday, I spent with my sister, my only sister.  Her husband (who would be my brother-in-law) is terminally ill.  He has been diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer.  He's my age -- which means he is young.  He's been at the Cleveland Clinic for 3 weeks and they finally released him yesterday.  So I drove my sister down to get him.  He was supposed to be released at 11 AM but around 3  PM, we finally left the hospital with him.  It is so sad to see a once vibrant man a shell of his former self.  He has lost so much weight, he looks like a skeleton with skin.  It was upsetting to see him in that condition.  I just pray that he is pain free and my sister has the strength to cope. 

But now that I look back on it, I wouldn't change any of it.  Sure I wish Princess wouldn't have gotten out but I spent countless hours driving around the neighborhood with my daughter, telling her everything was going to be alright.  She needed me and I was there for her.  Sure, I wish my brother-in-law was healthy but I spent countless hours with my sister which I rarely have the time to do.  She needed me and I was there for her.  Sometimes it's the hurdles and curve balls that make us appreciate life.

God Bless and have a wonderful week.  Friday is almost here and I feel a nap calling my name :)

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com