Stealing Moments for Ourselves

Diabetes.  Heart Disease.  Cancer.

Three different health conditions with one thing in common.  All three are thieves.

Each have stolen the life of one of my friends or family members.  Each have stolen moments of joy that I’ll never get back.  Each have stolen time that April and I might have otherwise been able to spend continuing to build on the years that we’ve spent together.

Between my crazy 50 hour night-time work weeks, juggling my diabetes & congestive heart failure issues and doctor appointments, my involvement with the DOC and advocacy efforts, and with April being her mom’s primary care giver through the cancer ordeal and all of the running to Indy for treatments, testing, etc… there hasn’t been much time left for us.   And it hurts. A lot!

We do spend a little time together when we can, though grocery shopping and running errands on Friday and Saturday nights is hardly what I would consider “date night” activities.  But, given the circumstances, I’m thankful for whatever time we have together.  A little time together is better than no time together at all.

This past weekend, we managed to steal a whole day to ourselves.  We spent nearly all day Saturday out and about.  We had breakfast at one of our favorite locally owned diners, browsed an open-air farmer’s market downtown, snapped photos of plants and critters while sitting on a bench in a park, and enjoyed ice cream from a favorite shop.

It was a great day, and the time spent together was much needed and well deserved.   And while I tried not to focus on anything but those precious hours April and I were spending together, I still had the nagging thought in the back of my mind that reality would soon catch up with us, and it would be back to the grind for both of us.  April would return to her mother’s side, and I would return to work and everything else all the while thinking about her and the hell we’re all going through.  It’s a vicious cycle.

There are lessons in all of this rambling. And they are very important ones for each of us to understand and remember.

Life is finite.  We each have a set number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years to live, yet no one knows what his or her number is.

Time spent with friends and loved ones is precious no matter what you are doing or how long or short the duration.  Live in those moments!

And never, ever, pass up an opportunity to show those you’re closest to you just how much you love and care for them.

They may not be there tomorrow!