The Perfect Phone Call for Me.....

                                                    

  My stress level has been somewhere between intolerable and completely off the chart, these past few weeks. When we left the hospital, we were given specific instructions about Tommy's post op care. I have to check on him every fifteen minutes for 2 months. That lasted a week. One morning Tommy gets up and says, "I am going to visit Ben for awhile."  I remember thinking, "good", and he took off. Then it hit me. Neither one of those two have a cell phone. My imagination was going crazy as I started to get dressed to take Tommy a cell phone that he will not use! While I was throwing on some clothes, the phone rang. It was a neighbor who lives about 5 miles from me. 

I am blessed with all sorts of friends and this little lady is a character and a treasure.  She is beautiful inside and out. She is about 80 years old with ageless chocolate brown skin and is what I call a 'wise woman'. We have known each other for 30 years, I worked at a trading post and she worked at the nucular power plant as a nurse. We became good friends. We don't talk every day or even every month. However, we have a connection. We know when to call or drop in and visit.

Sue called me the morning Tommy took off by himself and I got scared. She asked me how I was doing and I told her what was going on.  Very calmly she said, "Now Vicky, Tommy is your man. He is used to taking care of you. He is used to being strong and independent. He can't stop a lifetime of actions in the blink of an eye. Let him go." I interupeted her, saying, "But Sue, he is so sick."  That is when she spoke words right straight to my heart and I knew it was the right thing to do. She repeated once again, "Let him go". He won't go far and you are never out of his mind. He won't worry you too much. He knows what you have been through. When he gets out of the car, give God thanks, when he leaves ask for 'protection' and when he comes in the house give him a big kiss and a hug. Let him know you are glad to see him." And I did. It worked. We are still together nearly all of the time but we take breaks.....small breaks. We have made a lot of plans. Sunday we drove down to what is left of the Missouri River. Took some photos, found some old shacks that I love to photograph. When we got home we took a nap. 

I do believe our lives have changed. That is ok, we still have our lives and we will live them to fullest that we can. As long as a couple or a person has a dream, a purpose or a Bucket List they are still in the game. AND let me tell you, we have all three. Game On!!!