Going, Going, Gone!

Today marks two weeks since the last time I took the prescription that I wrote about in my May 22 blog entry.  It has been a process that sometimes felt good and sometimes not-so-good, and I am glad I have been able to reach my goal.  Again, I thank the family and friends who have supported me during this time.

Of course, reaching this goal is just one step of the plan that my doctor and I are working on, but it is great to feel like I am making at least some progress.  In the meantime, there have been disappointments with recurring pain and sleep issues.  But, if I remember I only have to take one step at a time, it is does not feel so frustrating and overwhelming.

Many a man had taken the first step. With every additional step you enhance immensely the value of your first.  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

How long will it last?

How long will it last?  That is the question I asked the dentist today when we talked about a dental care option.  How long will it last?  People, including myself, have asked this when the street in front of their home is torn up, when they are experiencing cold symptoms, when their toddler throws another tantrum, when they're buying new tires, etc.

I've also wondered "how long will it last?" with new technology.  (Yes, you've heard this theme before.)  It seems like the minute I purchase a new phone, television, computer, fill-in-the-blank, someone comes out with a new and improved model - maybe even for less money.  The question in these instances perhaps should be "how short will it last?"

Then I come to gratitude, "Thank you for however long or short this is lasting."

• Thank you for my car which has provided me with dependable transportation for almost 11 years.
• Thank you for my spiritual mentor who has been a blessing to me for over 5 years.
• Thank you being taught to read at about age 5, a skill that continues to enrich my life after 55 years.
• Thank you for my Portland apartment which has been my home base for 1 year.
• Thank you for the reliable service my computer has given me for nearly 6 years with the help of my extraordinary computer tech.
• Thank you for the love I felt in the minute it took to read a card from my son.
• Thank you for the warm feeling I've felt every time I think about that card.

I guess I could sum up the gratitude portion with a prayer I learned as a child (50+ years ago):

Thank you for the world so sweet,

Thank you for the food we eat,

Thank you for the birds that sing,

Thank you, God, for everything.
Amen.

Going, going . . .

Since mid-April, I have been on a schedule of gradually decreasing one of my medications (a prescription I have been taking for 19 years).  It is a slow process, recommended by my physician, designed to minimize any symptoms of withdrawal.  The first couple of weeks was no problem, and I thought, "this is going to be easy." 

As May started, and my dosage was further reduced, life was a little more challenging.  By the 10th of the month, I felt doubtful whether I could continue.  Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all?  Or maybe I had reached a point where I could go no further?  In other words, maybe I wasn't going to get to my goal of no longer taking the medication at all.

I felt exhausted and confused.  Fortunately, a friend urged me to call my doctor.  Talking with him helped to clarify my thinking, and I decided to stick with my plan of gradual decrease.  That was May 12.

Ten days later, I am still on track to be completely done with this medication by June 1.  Some days are going better than others, but I feel optimistic about accomplishing this goal.

I am grateful for a physician who is committed to helping patients find a treatment plan that works well for them.  I am grateful for the support of the family and friends who know what I am working on.  And, I am grateful for the inner guidance to do what is best for my health and the strength to see it through.

A Quiet Friday

Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem or saying a prayer.  (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)

After several meetings and appointments this week, it was a relief to have a quiet day at home.  I was able to catch up on some of my paperwork, do a little writing, clean up the kitchen, and attend to other tasks and activities. 

Anne Morrow Lindbergh's words are a poignant reminder for me as the busy days resume next week.  Being in the quiet can happen every day and not always in the same way.  It is a precious gift that only I can give myself.

A Day for Mothers

Sunday was a day for mothers.  I spent the day at home alone, but I probably thought about mothers more than I usually do.

There are so many kinds of mothers:  birth mothers, adoptive mothers, foster mothers, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, godmothers, stay-at-home mothers, working mothers, single-parent mothers, house mothers, room mothers, spiritual mothers, honorary mothers - even Mother Earth and Mother Nature.

Mothers can each look, speak, or act in different ways.  They can be considered as good mothers or bad mothers or maybe not considered as mothers at all.  All of them in their own way potentially provide the nurturing, encouraging, comforting qualities associated with the word motherhood as well as any guidelines, challenges, and discipline that might be needed.

Whatever kinds of mothers I've had, I have learned from them.  Sometimes the lessons are not grasped until much later - maybe as I have taken on more motherly roles myself, perhaps as I see my own mother in declining health in her final years, or possibly as I conceptualize my own version of "It takes a village to raise a child."

I hope every mother, whatever kind of mother, enjoyed their special day yesterday.  I hope everyone with mothers honored them yesterday and honors them every day.  As we all know, motherhood doesn't just happen on the 2nd Sunday in May; in most cases, it is a 365-day-a-year role.

Mother Goose Day

I just discovered that Sunday, May 1, was a special day for another reason.  This is what I found at www.delamar.org/gbwishex.htm.

A wish made on a goose on May 1, which is Mother Goose Day, has a powerful chance of coming true.  Make your wish, then shout at the goose:

Mother Goose, Mother Goose,

Go and set my wish loose.

If the goose runs away, your wish may come true.

Too bad I didn't know that on Sunday!  Fortunately, I do know that without a goose - or birthday candles - or a genie from a lamp - I may not have something to wish on, but I always have faith.  After all, faith has power every day of every month throughout the year.

May Day

"May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor (International Workers' Day). In many countries, it is a national holiday."  (http://www.infoplease.com/)

When I was growing up, we observed May Day by making up little bunches or baskets of flowers.  We would take them to our neighbors' front doors, ring the doorbell, then run away and hide (preferably where we could observe them opening the door, finding the flowers, and looking surprised and puzzled). 

The words "May Day" also bring to mind a distress signal from a ship or aircraft.  May Day is most probably an anglicized version of the French m'aidez (help me) or m'aider (to render help to me).  A May Day distress call is only to be used in case of "grave and imminent danger." (http://www.askyahoo.com/)

While I am not in grave danger, I am sometimes distressed by the speed at which the days fly by.  It seems only a short time ago that I wrote in this blog about February ending much too quickly - and here it is already May.  My sixtieth year seems to be running at an accelerated pace, and I keep wanting to yell "Slow down!"

Stay tuned.