Phew, what a busy weekend.
It was a long 3-day one for me and I was so looking forward to some rest and relaxation.
I spent all day Saturday doing laundry and necessary cleaning. The next two days I had planned to spend time reading and doing some shopping with my youngest daughter.
Thank God I’m flexible.
I found out Friday night that my uncle had passed away. So, Sunday afternoon was set aside for the wake of my uncle.
Then the remainder of the day was spent at the emergency room with my youngest daughter. Not quite the shopping experience I had planned on.
Poor thing had fallen down the stairs while I was at the wake with the rest of my family. And of course, every family member she tried to call wasn’t answering their phone (they were either at the wake or at work). She was panicking and I can’t say I blame her; one look at her crooked toe was enough to scare anyone. (She actually posted a picture of it on her facebook page and elicited plenty of “eewwwws” from her friends. Just the effect she was going for. :::mom eyes rolling:::) Thankfully, the mother of a friend came to her rescue. Her sister arrived home from work at about the same time and took her to the emergency room.
Then it was my turn to panic when I checked my phone for messages as I left the funeral home. I flew to the emergency room to find her and her sister in the “flu room.” Apparently, those were the only seats left when they arrived. ::sigh:: Praying that none of us get the flu. We waited several hours until we could be seen.
Her toe ended up being dislocated and not broken. This is a good thing. If it had been broken, there wouldn’t have been much they could do and she would have had a deformed toe for life.
I have to tell you, she was one brave girl as they fixed it for her! :::shiver::: She asked the doctor, nurse and I if it was alright to cry when she found out they would have to poke her toe with a needle and pull on it to straighten it….and we all said in unison, YES! I would have. But she didn’t. What a little toughie she is.
I then spent Monday at my uncle’s funeral.
His youngest daughter and first grandchild did his eulogy, while his two oldest daughters did the readings (it was a Catholic mass). My heart broke for them as I watched them struggle to speak. I remember, like it was yesterday, the emotions and heartache I felt when my own father died.
They spoke of his being a great chef and his love of cooking (he really was a great chef and cooked for some pretty prominent people here in Maine). They talked of his love for his wife (my aunt) and how happy he must be to be with her again. And they talked of his love for his family.
Between the wake and the funeral, I was able to catch up with cousins, aunts and uncles that I hadn’t seen for a while. It’s so terrible that we only see each other at times like these or at the family reunion held every two years. We were all so close as kids, with mine and my uncle’s family traveling down to their hometown almost every weekend when we were young. I was fortunate that both of my grandparents lived right next door to each other. I have very fond memories of my childhood being spent with extended family.
But, we all grow up and become busy with our own families. Some move away, some stay close by. It’s all good and as it should be. However, the time & distance doesn’t stop us from coming together to be supportive of each other when the need arises.
We’re all pretty flexible like that. The best laid plans can always be set aside when it comes to family. Providing the comfort only family can give, when its needed, is important.
So I’m glad my weekend didn’t go as planned. I’m glad I could be there to provide comfort to my daughter. I’m glad that I could be there for my cousins at a time when they needed the support.
And I’m so grateful that God impressed on me to attend church on Sunday morning with my old church family. Their love, hugs and joy helped me get through the remaining weekend. And this, my friends, is the subject of another post for another day.
May the Lord bless you all abundantly…and with lots of flexibility.
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