This is the title of the opening poem in my new book How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver. I’ll paste it below. Today, I finished proofing the manuscript and e-mailed the proof form to my Publishing Services Associate. She assured me that I would receive final proofs in a few days so we’re moving right along. I’ll post more poems from the book here in coming weeks.
The Day My Husband Had a Stroke
It’s about a quarter to twelve on Saturday, January 28th, 2006.
I’m walking downtown where I’ll meet a friend for lunch.
Afterward, I’ll come home, finish laundry,
read a book, anticipate the spaghetti dinner he’ll fix later.
At four o’clock, I’ll listen to “A Prairie Home Companion.”
At six, I’ll meet others in my singing group at the Eagles Club
where we’ll perform for a wine tasting.
At seven, I’ll come home, expect to find supper on the table—
instead, he’ll be lying on the floor.
Our lives won’t be the same.
Abbie Johnson Taylor, Author of We Shall Overcome
and
How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver
http://www.abbiejohnsontaylor.com
abbie@samobile.net
Life is like boxing blindfolded. Your opponent lands blows exactly where you expect them least. You can tense up and protect as many vulnerable parts as possible but that boxer will get you somewhere or other. I cope by trusting in God and believing that the tests he puts me through will end up strengthening me. Like any boxing match, the final bell will ring and we can go home.
ReplyDeleteFrom Abbie Taylor:
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bruce, for your heartfelt comment. I certainly wasn't expecting Bill's strokes to happen, and I don't think he was, either. They were definitely an unexpected, unpleasant surprise. That's the way the ball bounces, sometimes. I'm glad you have your faith in God to sustain you.
From Deon
ReplyDeleteLives seem to twist and
turn their way from our present, into our future, without even so much as a yield sign or a Public Service Message. How we react to these twists and turns is testimony of our character. When the dust settles down on the other side of it all, the strong are still upright, and the days continue to roll on through. I admire you for your twists and turns, and how you have remained standing tall after the dust finally settled.
Hi Deon, Thank you for your encouraging words. I should say the same thing for you when it comes to surviving adversity. You lost your vision unexpectedly, and you're still standing on your own two feet. Good for you!
ReplyDelete