Remember how I was already tired and feeling a wee bit overwhelmed? Right, well this week got a smidge worse. I had hit hump day and thought I was in the home stretch for a nice relaxing weekend when I got a phone call from my dad. It seems that my brother died unexpectedly on Wednesday of…something. They’re still not sure if it was a heart attack, stroke, or what. This is devastating in so many ways to so many people, but for the moment, I need to be detached because this huge, monumental, terrible event as well as the rest of the week’s crap is threatening to swallow me whole. So we need to travel home again and be with my family. Then, one of our cats started acting sick (I don’t have a dog, so it couldn’t possibly die, so this was apparently the next best thing to a very tired cliche). Off to the vet we had to go before leaving for the funeral. Turns out the cat needs antibiotic drops in her eyes and nose. Then, Sweet Girl started having diarrhea yesterday. Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! 24 hours of liquid poo later we’re at HER doctor (which is infested with sick, sneezing, coughing, petri dish children) to make sure she’s safe to travel tomorrow. Turns out there’s something going around, and she should be better in about a FRIGGIN’ WEEK. Heaven help me, I don’t think I can manage toddler diarrhea for a week, much less with two long flights in the middle. Then, our local municipality sent us a letter stating we owe $2,000 in taxes. Am I being Punk’d? All of this in the span of 48 hours. Fine, you’ve got me; I’m crying uncle already. Truce! I surrender! MAKE IT STOP!
So all that to say that I’m going to be out of touch for a bit, and I’m going to try to survive, and when I come back, I’ll process what’s going on and deal with it more appropriately, and maybe even talk about it with you here, if I decide it’s my place to share the story. But right now, survival is the only thing I can tangibly work towards, and I’ve only got so much left to give. Bear with me, and if you can, say some prayers or send some good thoughts in our direction. Our family needs it in a big way right now.