GREY MATTER LIFE

It all began here and it’s been a long 8 months. 

Long would certainly be one way to describe the time. These have also come to mind and were uttered often… nightmare, endless, miserable, lonely, challenging, exhausting, heart-broken, desperate, proud, strong, capable, accepting and appreciative. 

Above all, setting aside all the words, feelings and fits of bitching, I’ve learned yet again that I can indeed handle more than I expected. Damn those life lessons. 

It’s funny, (yes funny) that after facing a brain tumor diagnosis, craniotomy, recovery and what’s felt like an entire lifetime re-assembling our lives and settling into living life with a stable piece of shit brain tumor, I’d find myself facing another uniquely challenging life experience. An experience that now, as it concludes, I can laugh at and say… “Yeah, I did that too, Hah!” 

Can I get a time out on these challenges for a while? Please? I’d like to savor a bit of “normal” for a bit if you don’t mind.  

So, our move is off the table and after 8 long months of living in two different cities, commuting on weekends, parenting over the phone and trying to share life’s important moments through email, text message, voice mail and phone conversations; my beloved is back working and most importantly, living in Atlanta.  

Yipee!  

We’re back joining the ranks of the 7 day a week families. We’re actually all living in the same house and we’re shutting the doors on our insane 36 hour weekend family routine. We’re counting our blessings and savoring the beauty of simply being together. I’m thrilled beyond words. This has all been in the works for quite some time and while I’ve had to remain silent and mum on the subject, it’s been an emotional roller coaster lately to say the least. 

The boys are thrilled. The look on their faces when Paul told them he was back in Atlanta working and not living in Florida anymore, was priceless. No camera needed. Some images will forever be engraved in your heart and mind. I’m overjoyed for them and for us. 

We sacrificed a great deal over the past 8 months in order to keep the boys routines normal and their lives stable in the midst of all this chaos. I did my best to sail our ship on a course of least resistance in waters that we’d never charted. I’m not sure how successful I was, but I did my best. 

It was quite the exhausting adventure. Lessons were learned, tears were shed, laughter was had, and in the end we’ve found ourselves to be a pretty damn resilient family.

I may not always like the journey and paths we take or the cards I’ve been dealt, but I appreciate what it means to be resilient. 

Thank you to all our friends and family who helped us through these past 8 months. For all you have done, we are so very grateful. You each made the passage of the hours and days that comprised these 8 months more palatable and manageable. Thank you.  

Cheers-