Almost A New Year

Counting down the days now.  Wondering what is in store for us this next year.  2019 has been interesting - in multiple ways. 

Some of the unexpected things:

1.  A drive down the west coast of the country, from Seattle to San Fran.  Lovely, scary, beautiful, fun to be with my bestest, and it included more stops at Fred Meyer (mostly for food to make up for all the meals we missed) than we've ever had.

2. Cataract + stent surgery on both eyes. 

3.  All the eye drops associated with such surgery - took weeks to be done with them.  And I'm still figuring out how to see.  I've spent 60 years with my same glasses routine.  Now the routine is basically opposite.  It's a steep learning curve.

4.  We're still figuring out this "retirement" thing.  One day is never like the next.  Our previous "usual" routine has vanished.  New routine has yet to appear.

5.  Never expected to be so dedicated to yoga.  I still watch the clock through the class but only a fraction as much as I used to.  I don't love the actual doing (except I do like the warrior poses- must be the latent fighter in me 😏) but I do love the improvement in my flexibility and reduction of pain in my knees.  The breathing helps a lot.

6.  Didn't expect to feel so relieved at being released from teaching R.S.  Wasn't sure it would happen yesterday, our earlier visit with the Bishopric member was fairly unpleasant, and his remark about me being released was flippantly casual - offhand, like maybe they'd get around to it when it mattered, the implication being that I didn't really matter, particularly if I wasn't go to say yes to what he wanted.  I'm sure the other councilor or the Bishop would have handled things differently.  I'm working on letting that interaction go - he's just a guy with an overdeveloped sense of self and importance who needs some work on listening and communicating better.

Some of the expected occurrences had unexpected results.  Yet, here we are, plugging along.  Doing our best.  At least working really hard at that.  There've been some good things along the way - kindnesses of friends, hope for the future, decent health (which we pray for every day to continue) grandkids that seem to care about us and myriads of other things that warm our hearts and enrich our lives. 

I'm really anxious to be able to meet whatever comes our way with dignity, grace, and kindness.  We need more of all three in this world.