Happy New Year, 2023!
You already know I believe that sharing is caring, even things like grief, but that cuteness is just so much better!
Since we’ve been too busy DOING all the things to even post about them before now, I thought that I had better share at least a highlight reel from 2022 with you before you think that I don’t care at all, because I do.
I really, really do!
But now maybe you’ll see why you haven’t heard much from us lately!
We’ve been a little busy…..
You already know I believe that sharing is caring, even things like grief, but that cuteness is just so much better!
The littlest Littles have brought the cute AGAIN – and since we’ve been too busy to talk, too busy to even type, it ALL had to wait until I had time to breathe…
Well, fine. I still don’t have any of that, but since we skipped sharing a video of the sh!tshow that was 2020, I thought it might be time to share the highlight reel from 2021 with you before you all think that I don’t care at all. Because I do. I really, really do.
But now maybe you’ll see why you haven’t heard much from us lately (we’ve been a little busy):
I know some of y’all have kind of weird interests, too (I am looking at YOU, Dr. P!mp|e P0pper-watchers!), so I thought you might find this interesting.
You know you want to see it.
It IS pretty gross, though, so if you are not one of those weirdos like us, you should go away now.
You will get plenty of text as scrolling ‘ground cover’ to give yourself a chance to run away before then, but if you decide to continue…..consider yourself as having been officially warned.
So I was in the hospital last week (and ICYMI or you got here from somewhere else, you can catch up on it HERE).
I had so much abdominal pain that I couldn’t sleep one night, and by morning, I had had enough already.
Now, I’m a pretty tough cookie about most things, most of the time, but I knew this was not normal and was not going to fix itself.
I also have no patience for wasting time, so I raced off on the journey of discovery to find out wtf was the problem.
The entire day was somewhat of a debacle (and believe me, I will have plenty to say about that some other time), but fast forward to where I get to tell you I was admitted to a surgical center and scheduled for an appendectomy first thing the next morning.
Thankfully, my surgeon was not only amazing but also a weirdo like us, and seemed to know somehow that I would enjoy seeing full-color photos of my insides.
So she took some.
And I did!
And so will you, if you’re still here.
So THIS one is just for the weirdos who want to see it.
Are you ready for this?
This is what an appendix looks like, with some necrosis.
So, who wants chicken for dinner? NOT ME. Maybe never ever again, now.
Time lapse of being diagnosed, admitted, operated on, released, and discharged from the hospital to home to recover = 30 hours.
The speed was probably a direct result of my being such a godawful patient but I’m #notevensorry about it, just wait until I tell y’all about it. I’m pretty sure you’ll be on my side.
I am still pretty sore and swollen from the surgery, but to those of you who called, texted, prayed, sent well wishes – thank you! I got them all and felt the love.
Back at you! From me AND the smiling swollen belly scar.
I swear, I USED to have abs. Maybe they took those instead of my appendix?
Have you ever had your appendix taken out? If so, how long were you in the hospital and how long did it take you to fully recover?
So my last post talked about how “that’s quite enough, thanks” (and in case you got here from somewhere else, you can catch up on it HERE), right?
Well, that’s what I get for thinking…..
Literally within the next 72 hours of publishing it, I was:
But I’m fine. Really.
Usually, this is where I want to know how you’re doing, and get your input – but I’m afraid the universe is listening and will take it as an invitation to show me more crazy, so maybe later…..
You already know I believe that sharing is caring, even things like grief.
BUT CUTENESS IS SO MUCH BETTER!
The littlest Littles are learning to share and OH, THE CUTE!!!
I almost can’t even stand it.
So I’ll share a highlight reel from 2019 with you.
Are you ready for this? Because I wasn’t!
A recent post mentioned a very real belief I have, that sharing is caring.
Especially when you have something I don’t that I want some of.
Like that girl does.
My #framily and I say that phrase fairly often to each other, and of course we think we are being funny, but it is SO true when you really think about it. I mean, who wouldn’t want it all for themselves? Good is good so more must be even better, right? Sharing something you REALLY want all for yourself should count double……and so should taking a share of things you reallyreallyreally do NOT want.
Like grief.
Grief feels heavier than joyful does. It definitely lasts longer than the sympathy does. It makes you bitter OR better. It hurts you AND numbs you. Some people hide it while some wear it constantly. It makes some people afraid of everything but it made me (even more so) afraid of NOTHING. The details are different, but the human experience is the same, no matter what grief looks like on us. It is also best friends with loss – no matter if that loss is of friend, parent, or child.
I have been asked repeatedly to share my story on that, but I am still working through it. So not today.
Instead, I want to share (with permission) a friend’s experience with grief…..and I know that probably seems like I am letting myself off the hook, but I promise you I am not.
Our human experience is eerily similar, even though the details are very different. Sharing her ‘walk’ with you is not exactly the same as sharing mine – but just by paying attention, I am also sharing her grief with her, hoping it makes the load a little lighter while we walk, even if she can’t see me over here helping carry it right now.
With someone you care about, help them carry their grief once in awhile. Sometimes its the only thing they need…..but I think any way we can show up for each other still counts.
Thank you, Emme Chey, for sharing with us. You’re one of my heroes.
Usually, when people mention the ‘C’, they are talking about cancer, but we are NOT talking about that right now.
I am not talking about the other c-word right now, either. I don’t say that one at all (other than the one time I did and it was totally deserved and I’m still #notevensorry about it, but that’s it, I swear).
So relax.
At our house, C is usually for cookie. Or cocktails. Or COOKIES AND COCKTAILS. My husband bakes AND shakes so we do our part around here to not appear ungrateful for those acts of service.
I am definitely not above using a cocktail to wash down a cookie. I know, because I’ve seen me do it.
What C is NOT supposed to be for is crisis, chaos, and especially not for crying. Unfortunately, we have had all of these at my house recently and every time it happened, they reminded me of why those last few are not welcome here.
I was also reminded to write about this, because it just keeps coming up…..
I AM NOT MUCH OF A CRIER.
I never was, even as a kid, but especially not by this point in life. I even have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to this, but for some reason, people are still confused.
While that is understandable, and a totally human response to handling stress and pain and I hope you feel free to do it whenever you need to – it also seems to me like it is the least productive way to deal with a sh!tty situation so it has never been my go-to response.
There is no instruction manual for the project of putting a shattered life back together after the wrongest wrong EVER. I am doing the best I can to cope. It is complicated, though. Some days are for caring for others and honoring commitments to my companies and serving my community while other days are only for crying and barely getting off of the couch, even just for coffee with friends.
You won’t hear about the days I know will hurt you too because you want to help me and you can’t, but I am NOT ashamed of ANY of those days.
I also know that there is no manual for loved ones trying to help. I get it.
Everyone seems to have differing advice on what healthy coping should look like and while that doesn’t surprise me (we’re all just winging it here), what DOES surprise me are these from people who should know better:
These make my inside voice comeback with things like:
Now, don’t y’all know I don’t know what else to be, since things still have to be handled even when I don’t feel like it?
Don’t you know that I have purposefully built as self-sufficient a life as possible, so that I can just want people and not need them?
That I don’t pretend anything, ever?
That if I need to do anything, it’s probably already done before anyone else thought of it?
Sigh.
I forgot how I originally wanted to close this, other than to say THANK YOU for caring about me, even when its not easy. I know you’re winging it, too. I have survived this far so there IS that, and I hope you never forget (because I don’t!) that so much of that is due to YOU.
Also – did you know that sharing is caring? Especially if you bring cake.
I appreciate you.
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