A Good Day

April 17 is my favorite day of the year. Not because I love birthdays. After turning 40, I really don’t have much use for the birthdays. However, my whole life, having grown up in NM, April generally marks Spring. Everyone starts wearing shorts and people just seem smiley(er). In Chicago the last 15 years, one learns to wait for Spring a bit longer. Perhaps May.

In Aspen, Spring was all about sunny, slushy days on the hill and sunburnt faces because we were young and dumb.

Snowboarding in a tee-shirt! Gosh. Life was somethin’. And it still is. It’s just a different something.

Today is a beautiful day in Ohio. I just got a ten minute break from a volunteer and it is so Springy Spring!

I took a nap with Ashton. I was up at 5am and the Fish Channel was flashing April 17. I read for awhile and watched my boy sleep. I was certain to get an hour or two of good guilt in there before he awakened. He woke up sore to the touch and grumpy as all hell.

We decided to shake it up a little.

I made a brand new “bed” for him in the sunrise of this beautiful day. He ended up sleeping in the sunlight for four hours and I, with him, for one of those. He’s about to fall asleep again. Much fatigue.

He was sad to have missed my “party”. But, I gave him a chocolate covered apple from my friend. Soon, there was chocolate mayhem and he is no longer wearing clothes. He seems to be comfortable with that and I do NOT shake it up unless it’s a fun shake-up. If he is happy, the entire staff is happy.

Grandpa Joe came by with his cart of books. He called me a beautiful lady and he is…easily 85. The male nursing student thought I was his age (29) that’s a stretch on a good day with hair color.

We received some great gifts for Ashton. TNMT hats and other wonderful gifts. He showed his old self to me and said: Mommy, It is YOUR birthday. Why am I getting presents?

I have received some wonderful, kind, sweet messages for my ripe old age and I am happy to be here and alive at 43  and to be here to walk right next to Ashton on his journey to health. Soon, I will be together again with Lily< Blaise and Ashton. The only time everything feels perfect is when they are all with me. I ask: do not forget about them. Lily and Blaise. They are going through a lot and they need love, too. I miss you, my lovelies.