A Long Day Filled With Sadness

Today was my first day back to work after a two week medical leave. It was a typical Monday. In addition to getting back in the groove of work, I had lots of catch up to do. This probably seemed more intense than it really was because I only worked half the day. I left work early because I had follow up visits with my family doctor and surgeon. They both gave me a clean bill of health although I still have an open incision that will likely take several more weeks to completely heal. Between my two appointments I stopped at the hospital where my wife and her sisters are with my mother in law. She was admitted to the hospital on the day I was released. She is very ill and we believe these are her last days. My wife cried all last night and still gets easily upset at the thought of her mother leaving us. Although my mother in law is 85 years old, living in an assisted living facility, and in fragile health, you are never ready for a parent to die. Due to the uncertainty of the immediate future, my wife and I have cancelled our trip to the mountains. There will be other autumns for us. Pictured above is a moment from a happier time when my mother in law was well and Chloe was about two years old.

Driving home from my last doctor appointment I passed the small park where I take Chloe to feed the ducks. All of the Christmas decorations are in place and the maintenance workers were testing the lights. I even saw a few...very few...snowflakes in the air.