a week...

Its been such a week- I feel that I've hardly had a moment to take a breath. Trying to work more, as my husband lost his job about 6 weeks ago. I'm thankful that I can. We have yet to see an unemployment check- and suddenly I am wondering about all those families who have lost their source of income in the last month. So many. Suddenly, in a very real way, I am gaining understanding.....
Because of the work that I do- I see so many families in times of crisis. Over and over again I am struck by the bravery and unselfishness that compells people to lay aside their own life and care for the person that they love. I ran into a wife of one of our patients a while ago. I remember well the talks we had, the tears that fell, the grief that had her in it's grip. I remember her agony and her suffering. Today she is calm, peaceful, cheerful- happy. She loved well, she grieved well and now she is living well. It blesses me to see her. It helps me to remember that no matter what the situation- it is a season. It will have an endpoint.
I spent most of yesterday at the hospital and left late in the afternoon. I stopped to see my last patient just as the sun was beginnning it's descent. It was lovely yesterday- thick white snow adorning big pine trees. I'm glad I enjoyed the scenery, for my car slipped off the road and I spent the better part of the evening in their ditch. Oddly enough, it was a peaceful interlude in the day. AAA was coming- there was nothing to do. To dusky to read, not enough energy to write. And so I sat. And sat. I wrapped a blanket around me, not so much for warmth as for comfort. I watched the snow falling gently, and the pine trees fade into the shadow. The lights in the neighbors houses glowed dimly- not to close- just close enough for me to know I was not entirely alone. A quiet instrumental CD in the backround. I let myself sink into it - interrupted only occasionally by the texts of 2 teenage boys "r u ok" "k" I responded. I was loved. I was warm. The snow was falling. It wasn't a bad end to the day.....