Standing in Gratitude

Today I was up at 5am drinking a cup of coffee while I solve the daily Wordle and then cast my vote for the Lent Madness saint. Usually I read the prompt and start mulling it over while I get ready to take my morning walk. Instead I loaded up my car and left at 6am for Pasadena. I arrived at my mother’s house before 7 to take her to an 8 o’clock dentist appointment. I put away the groceries I’d brought her and discreetly transported a few science projects from the refrigerator to the trash. We made it to the dentist office on time. We went back to her house next and worked on her computer sorting out some credit card issues and updating her Google calendar. After getting them all to zero balances, she agreed to use one debit card only and take all the credit cards out of her wallet. Once the bank opened, we went there to get cash in a variety of denominations. Across the parking lot is See’s Candy where I picked out an assortment of dark chocolate treats for her. Back at her house, I changed into shorts and a sleeveless top as it was very sunny. I hacked back a flowering broccoli plant that was blocking all the light and space for her sweet peas. I cut off a huge purple cauliflower and pared the leaves off into the green recycle bin. I picked a huge bag of Meyer Lemons off her tree and brought those home. I gave her the case off my iPhone for protection and to make it less slippery as it kept sliding out of the pockets in her purse and sweater. My replacement will be delivered tomorrow. I left her house before 1 o’clock so there was not much traffic. Dodger baseball begins this week and I will need to check their schedule so I don’t get caught in the stadium traffic. Once home, I ate lunch and unpacked my bag of clothes and the notebook where I keep all the records of my visit. I talked on the phone and relaxed in the garden before watching Jeopardy with my husband. I microwaved Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala for dinner. My life is bountiful as I have the time and the resources to spend six hours running errands and helping my mother. I even was careful not to lose my temper with her today. Although when she said that she might just buy a car I told her that ship had sailed. I am grateful for my husband and our long marriage. I am grateful that I am making plans now for when to give up driving. I am grateful that I see how important it is to stay active, to walk, to go to yoga, to see my doctors, to go to a chiropractor who does deep tissue muscle therapy to get my skeleton aligned and to a massage therapist who coats me in scented oils as I breathe into her touch. And now I’ve completed my writing and I can go to bed. Night night.

— KathyV