1.26.2009
A plan
My great aunt Irene died this morning. She had been sick for months with Myasthenia Gravis, a disease I don't know very much about except that it's related to Lou Gehrig's Disease. She had been unable to speak so that anyone could understand her and was getting weaker, more tender to the touch, and more malnourished every day. When she went to the hospital this past week with liver and kidney failure, everyone pretty much knew that this was the end for her. Everyone in town visited her at the hospital to say goodbye and let her know it was okay for her to go. And this morning, just after midnight, she passed on. Her suffering ended, which I'm grateful for, but it's still difficult to mourn her loss.
I wrote a long letter to my great uncle this morning during Kent's nap, sharing some of my thoughts on Irene and wishing him well as he and his family remember and celebrate his wife. It was something I needed to do and something I often think about doing but rarely get around to. My hand kept cramping up, though. I wondered several times how I used to be able to write pages and pages in a journal, or take pages of notes in class, and now I can barely get a letter out. This is wrong. I realized that I only ever write grocery lists and sticky notes these days. Everything else is typed, which takes about 1/4 of the time but is about 1/4 as personal as well.
With my increased free time now, I plan to write more letters. Mondays are going to be Letter Day, wherein I will attempt to write at least one personal letter during Kent's nap. But the plan does not stop there. I have a heretofore-neglected thing for each day of the week now.
Monday: Letter Day
Tuesday: Knitting Day
Wednesday: Make Something for Someone Else Day (which will mostly relate to our church's craft ministry, knitting baby hats and sewing teddy bears, but other projects as I find them)
Thursday: Change the World Day (wherein I will research new service opportunities)
Friday: Cook for Fun Day
Saturday: Cleaning Day
Sunday: Quilting Day
Other things will fill little pockets of time as well, like listening to music I enjoy and reading for pleasure before bed. I always seem to have some sort of meaningful revelation when I lose a family member, something that occurs to me about my life that I could do better at. So thanks, Irene. This list is inspired partly by you. It's a weird mystery of life that it takes a death to remind me about living a more purposeful existence.
I wrote a long letter to my great uncle this morning during Kent's nap, sharing some of my thoughts on Irene and wishing him well as he and his family remember and celebrate his wife. It was something I needed to do and something I often think about doing but rarely get around to. My hand kept cramping up, though. I wondered several times how I used to be able to write pages and pages in a journal, or take pages of notes in class, and now I can barely get a letter out. This is wrong. I realized that I only ever write grocery lists and sticky notes these days. Everything else is typed, which takes about 1/4 of the time but is about 1/4 as personal as well.
With my increased free time now, I plan to write more letters. Mondays are going to be Letter Day, wherein I will attempt to write at least one personal letter during Kent's nap. But the plan does not stop there. I have a heretofore-neglected thing for each day of the week now.
Monday: Letter Day
Tuesday: Knitting Day
Wednesday: Make Something for Someone Else Day (which will mostly relate to our church's craft ministry, knitting baby hats and sewing teddy bears, but other projects as I find them)
Thursday: Change the World Day (wherein I will research new service opportunities)
Friday: Cook for Fun Day
Saturday: Cleaning Day
Sunday: Quilting Day
Other things will fill little pockets of time as well, like listening to music I enjoy and reading for pleasure before bed. I always seem to have some sort of meaningful revelation when I lose a family member, something that occurs to me about my life that I could do better at. So thanks, Irene. This list is inspired partly by you. It's a weird mystery of life that it takes a death to remind me about living a more purposeful existence.
Labels: craftiness, family, Freude
- posted by erica 1/26/2009 06:07:00 PM
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Comments:
I feel you on the hand written letters. I was sad taking down my Christmas cards. How come only once a year people are obligated to mail good wishes and cheer? I think cards are a nice little thing and a hand written message makes it even sweeter. I heart Hallmark by the way.
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