So, Every Day

Two of my blogging friends have had to put their dogs down. I feel this sorrow to the core of my being, the day I have to do this, too, is within sight. My Roxie is 14 years old, and showing every bit of her age. But so far the pain meds we are giving her seem to be keeping her comfortable enough. Every day is a gift.

We also have an almost 15 year old cat. Today she started to upchuck a fur ball on the sofa, we reacted by moving over to lift her off. This movement caused our momma dog, Ruby (a ten year old Viszla) to charge the cat - she does this in her self-determined role of  "momma" - making the other animals behave. But in the process of being pounced at, the cat panicked, leaped backward and fell off the sofa. A short while later we found her collapsed in front of the litter box, unable to walk straight. We were certain she had broken something. But thankfully, after a little rest and comfort, she seems to be better.
Every day is a gift.

In the last three weeks I have officiated four funerals. Each person had lived a long life, a good life.We celebrated them and gave thanks for each one. Since the end of May I have officiated five funerals, two baptisms, and a wedding. Three of the funerals took place in the same week we hosted the Worldviews Seminar - a week long seminar on world religions co-sponsored with the University of Michigan. No doubt by the time I headed off for vacation two weeks ago I was exhausted and ready for a rest.

Alas, rest was elusive. We drove to Chicago to attend a wedding - which was fun. But my computer died just days before I was to head off to lead a couple of workshops at the General Convention of the Episcopal Church. (On the WordsMatter Expansive Language Project). Thankfully my colleague had all the workshop materials on her computer - so we were good. It was just a little stressful and frustrating to lose my computer. Convention was both fabulous and exhausting - all in a good way, of course. Plenty of people have written about convention so I won't bother....

Sadly I had to leave convention a day early to come home and officiate that four-in-three-weeks- funeral. 

And now I am back at work. Two weeks of work and then another round of time off. Thankfully the next two weeks of work, at least at this point, don't seem to be very busy. Let's hope so...and the next round of time off holds zero plans. I may just read, sleep, and do yoga....

Speaking of reading....Lately I am really enjoying the Maisie Dobbs series. It takes place in the early 1900's England, but is very progressive in the way women and men are portrayed. The lead character, a woman detective and psychologist, is very invested in reconciliation. It's cool, and a good story line. I love it when I find a new series to read....

So, yes. Every day is a gift. Which reminds me....there is a Mary Oliver poem on this idea...

So every day

I was surrounded

by the beautiful crying forth

of the ideas of God,

one of which was you.

Dogs, cats, parishioners, family, bloggers, books, all...a gift.