All is Well

It's Friday! It's been a week since we moved and we're still living off moving boxes. Our main priority was to get the high guest traffic spots organized like the living room and dining areas ...I know! I'm, slacking. But since we did the majority of the work on our own, I'm so beat. I miss it back home (Philippines) when you get a horde of people (including paid hands) to lift stuff at your beck and call. Hubby and I scrimped on the movers so we only had two hands each to move stuff for us. The left and the right.  Some family and relatives came in trickles, so that was a lot of relief for us. So lesson #1- don't be deceived by a small studio a.k.a. "The Box". It's like Mary Poppin's magical bottomless carpet bag. I'm ready to crash this weekend.

I barely spoke to my folks this week. And I feel really bad since I know that one of the highlights of their day (amidst social obligations, oh, my mom's church and charity stuff, my dad's uhm...what has he been up to lately?-- and I want to kick myself for not knowing) is to hear from me or my two sisters.  I'm looking forward to having them come and visit me this time. The idea of living with me or anyone of us siblings still hasn't sold to them, perhaps it never will, knowing how they want to keep the way of life that they're used to rather firm, constant and unalterable.  I guess it just makes sense. Who wants to uproot two great people in the late sixties and early seventies from where they are if the situation works for them? But they are our parents and one day, they will be too old and weak to nurture and take care of us whenever we come running.  One day, they will be too old and weak to take care of themselves! The time will come when we should be overseeing their own needs as children. That's usually one of any parents' major qualms about their future. We would want to be there for them when that day comes and hopefully equal what they have given if not exceed it. (I want to be able to afford it too!) I'm trying to get all geared up and ready when that role-reversal (which is always bound to occur at one point in the cycle of human development vis-a-vis family dynamics) happens -- rather protracted in my family, we're still THE Kids on the third decade of our lives!

Mom's over with her minor surgery (for a localized recurrence), and dad's Brachytherapy is done with.  They are going to arrange for his external radiation soon. It breaks my heart to know that they are on their own, shuttling from one oncologist to another. (Oh by the way, did you notice the pink and blue ribbons on my header? Let's fight these bad guys in a prayer battle!) Both of the prognosis seem promising so I'm praying and holding on to that.  So I guess all is well for now. The current task is to try to keep this phase in status quo. Or pray that it does.

They are scheduled to fly to Australia for a wedding in November (good for them because they haven't visited it and I heard Australia's  really gorgeous too).  Then hopefully, they will be going on a pilgrimage somewhere in Europe in April next year, and then California to visit me and my other sister. There's a lot of international flights involved in the next couple of years for them. I hope that ditches and loses the bad things along the way...like those stupid malignant neoplasms that have no business proliferating in good people's bodies.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS.

In Dad's words:

"Look, anak (child), at the wheel of life.  You got lucky with a good deal for your new house, but then I got sick.  It's just an up and down ride as the wheel turns.  Sadyang ganun (that's really how it is).  It gets balanced out for us.  It's really not perfect. We can't expect things to be perfect all the time, sometimes there are trade-offs.  But it doesn't mean that life can't be beautiful.  Once we realize this, we won't get too depressed when we hit the lows, we only look forward to the next trip up."