We talk about it all the time but I'm not sure we're any closer to truly grasping what happened - how bad his heart disease was, how close to dying he was really, and what was done to him to repair it.
And then there's the whole idea of a fresh start. I wonder if we'll ever take that for granted.
Farmdoc the scientist is obsessed with the physical aspects of this new life. He's bought a pedometer which he wears all the time, and every day he walks for at least 30 minutes. Even today in the rain we strode out in rain gear, leaving behind a warm, cosy house. And he watches his diet obsessively.
I, on the other hand, am obsessed with what it means to have a second chance. I look at the long scar on Farmdoc's chest and it seems so strange. I don't associate it with operating theatres. It seems more symbolic to me somehow, a sign that something within has changed.
This week we took Daughter Number Four to stay at Cradle Mountain for a few days. The trip was a celebration and a thanksgiving, a time to immerse ourselves in Mother Nature's offerings at their most sacred and sublime.
It feels too soon to write properly about this experience and what it means, but I do know it feels to me that there's something holy about the responsibility of making a new life count. Cradle Mountain seemed the right place to set out on this undertaking.
Beautifully expressed Vivienne.
ReplyDeleteWishing you well..for this new journey you are both travelling.
At times, you write beautifully. Even the grammar is right. The syntax and cadence ring with the pitch of a bell struck at the start of high service.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post, as you can rightly sense, and the feeling you expressed about a new start rang true for me too. Please encourage Ross to write.
Perhaps his ability to concentrate on detail, or the challenge of reading text has discouraged him. A small post on your blog or his would be an effort, but it would stimulate his creative mind.
My wife and I talk about you often. There are things about our lives that are remarkably similar, even parallel. Just take one day at a time. Inspiration will come with the certainty of sun in the morning, and soft moonlight at night. Bless you both.
Thank you both, Judith and Geoffrey, for your support and encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Ross will ever be able to write about this part of his life. Maybe when the enormity fades and he can take life for granted a little more, he'll be able to. In the meantime your support and cyber friendship mean the world to us both!