Highs and Lows and long stretches in between

What is it about the world that it never stops? It never slows down long enough for you to take a breath. Or is this just my experience this week?

I’ve had the high of highs (booking vacation) and the low of lows (the loss of not one, but two friends) and I find myself at Friday emotional and physically wiped out. Where do I begin?

I suppose that I should expound on the death of two friends. One of those friends is the young woman I wrote about several weeks ago. Two months ago she thought she had the flu, her husband took her to the clinic after the fourth day of said ‘flu’ and it turned out to be terminal cancer. She died in hospice last night. Helene leaves behind a husband and two small girls (ages 17 months, and 4.5 years). This is so tragic. How does one go from the flu to terminal cancer? And pass of it in two months? And only be 43 years old?

The second death was almost equally fast yet has not hurt me to the quick like Helene’s passing. This was an older woman (58) who had volunteered for me on many occasions. She’d been having some heart problems that the doctors couldn’t get on top of. Then unexpectedly she has a mild heart attack in February at which time they discover an inoperable heart condition and she was told she had less than 6 months to live. She passed away in her home with her family around her, on Tuesday.

To be honest dear reader – I just want to go home, sip a beer, and lay on the couch. Just for today, not for always. Just until I stop feeling so tired inside.

But life must go on, and it will.

But there is no segue after what I’ve just written to talk about the highlights of my week. So I’ll launch into it. Please don’t think I’m callous.

I am blessed that I have two holiday sessions coming up. One begins next Wednesday. I’ve mentioned this one before, but it’s now fast upon me. I’ll be heading to London, Ontario for a weeklong visit with an elementary school friend. I haven’t been back east in over 25 years. I can’t help but wonder what (other than the people) has changed. It will be fun, and I’m going without the husband. I’ve never done something like this before. Hopefully we’ll miss each other desperately!

The second set of holidays that will be taken ….. is almost way more exciting AND it will be with the hubby. Twelve days in Disney World Florida!!! This time it’s a first for both of us. The flights and hotel are all booked. However, this trip won’t happen until October. You’ve got a few more months of me bouncing off the walls with excitement. We’re both looking forward to this so much.

Initially we talked about just going down to California and Disneyland again. But once I started to look into the costs of flights and such we realized that it wasn’t that much more to choose the other coast. The more research we’ve done the more we realize there is to see. So our itinerary is already looking full – other than the 4 Disney parks, there will also be a couple of days at the two Universal Studios parks, possibly Gatorland …. Sea Land ….. Kennedy Space Centre ….. and more.

So there you have it, my week in a nutshell. The emotions are all over the place, and I’m not exactly sure how to feel from one moment to the next. But tomorrow promises to be brighter.

Just please, I pray I don’t lose any more friends for a while.

Have a lovely weekend.