The Words that Keep Coming out of my Fingers and Won't Stop
Today my little brother, Jeremiah, had an end of the school year party. It was a great day filled with 8 ten year olds, water balloons, silly string, and far too much ice cream cake. It was muddy and messy and so much fun. It's been years since I've been pegged square in the back with a cold, surprisingly unforgiving water balloon.
On top of this lovely day I am dealing with a case of nearly fatal (or not quite) poison ivy. Garrett brought up the fact that I probably got it when during their softball game I stepped two inches into the woods to get a foul ball. I can actually get poison ivy by simply thinking about it, or drawing a picture of it. So it's not surprising that after my little foray to the edge of the woods I now find myself covered in small red spots. Everywhere. Poison Ivy sucks.
But here's the thing.
It's not poison ivy. As a matter of fact. We don't know what it is. All I know is that it looks like chicken pox. It feels like chicken pox, and it has spread like chicken pox. But I've already had the pox. How can this be? Is it smallpox. According to Webmd.com I could be dying of some highly communicable disease. Crap. I'll keep you posted.
Today was a strange day in a few HUGE ways.
1. While Jeremiah and I were leaving my Mom's neighborhood to make a quick run to the store before the party...we witnessed a fatal car accident. It was devastating and tragic. There aren't even words. A car crossed the center line and ran headfirst into a tree. As we slowly made our way past the horiffic scene (others had stopped to help and the ambulance was only fractions of a second away) I pulled Jeremiahs eyes away from the scene and held him close. The girl in the passenger side was sitting upright. In complete shock. Covered head to toe in blood. The driver had been slammed, mercilessly, into the windshield and lay half in, half out of the car. It was so very real. It wasn't a car crash on tv. The car wasn't on fire. The people didn't stumble out and then a quick cut to commercial. It was utterly real. It was terrifying and I had to pull over a mile after we saw that and catch my breath, and look my little brother in the eye and promise him that I would take care of him. He was afraid and I wanted to shield him from that like nothing ever before. The Mama Bear in me came out. And she was fierce.
and now, #2, on a lighter note
2. I realized today (as I do nearly every day) that I am girlfriend to one very amazing man. Not only are his eyelashes longer than strands of spaghetti, but his hands can literally palm a basketball. I don't know what it is about this that I find so attractive. Maybe its the way his hands can also fit so gently around my waist or rest lightly on the back of my neck. There is such strength in those hands. Such power. And yet they are gentle enough to hold a sick puppy over our sink while he throws up for the third time in one morning. There's something lovely about a man like that. The power and the softer side. It's unnerving. It reminds me of the first time I saw him hold a can and thought, "My God he's going to crush that tiny aluminum can with those giant bear hands!" I can't say it enough, but I will always try. Thank you Garrett. For the nearly four and a half years that we've spent learning and loving. And this is where I must apologize, and why today was a a strange day. I was so mean to him this morning for NO REASON. Let me repeat myself men of the world, and take note: I, A WOMAN, NEARLY THE PICTURE OF PERFECTION IN EVERY WAY, WAS WRONG. I was a grouch to Garrett this morning. Oh it was awful. And I left him this morning feeling like a pile of steaming...well...you know. Let me make this very clear, that is one amazing man. I have mood swings like a teeter totter and he's always there to let me know that he still loves me. That he can approach every day with a laugh and a smile. He sleeps a full eight hours a night and admires himself in the mirror. He is kind and giving. Smart and loving. He is intelligent, and successful and treats our puppy like a prince. I love you always Garrett, my handsome protector. Thanks for putting up with my girliness and my bitchiness and all of the 'ness that makes me, me.
How was your day?
On top of this lovely day I am dealing with a case of nearly fatal (or not quite) poison ivy. Garrett brought up the fact that I probably got it when during their softball game I stepped two inches into the woods to get a foul ball. I can actually get poison ivy by simply thinking about it, or drawing a picture of it. So it's not surprising that after my little foray to the edge of the woods I now find myself covered in small red spots. Everywhere. Poison Ivy sucks.
But here's the thing.
It's not poison ivy. As a matter of fact. We don't know what it is. All I know is that it looks like chicken pox. It feels like chicken pox, and it has spread like chicken pox. But I've already had the pox. How can this be? Is it smallpox. According to Webmd.com I could be dying of some highly communicable disease. Crap. I'll keep you posted.
Today was a strange day in a few HUGE ways.
1. While Jeremiah and I were leaving my Mom's neighborhood to make a quick run to the store before the party...we witnessed a fatal car accident. It was devastating and tragic. There aren't even words. A car crossed the center line and ran headfirst into a tree. As we slowly made our way past the horiffic scene (others had stopped to help and the ambulance was only fractions of a second away) I pulled Jeremiahs eyes away from the scene and held him close. The girl in the passenger side was sitting upright. In complete shock. Covered head to toe in blood. The driver had been slammed, mercilessly, into the windshield and lay half in, half out of the car. It was so very real. It wasn't a car crash on tv. The car wasn't on fire. The people didn't stumble out and then a quick cut to commercial. It was utterly real. It was terrifying and I had to pull over a mile after we saw that and catch my breath, and look my little brother in the eye and promise him that I would take care of him. He was afraid and I wanted to shield him from that like nothing ever before. The Mama Bear in me came out. And she was fierce.
and now, #2, on a lighter note
2. I realized today (as I do nearly every day) that I am girlfriend to one very amazing man. Not only are his eyelashes longer than strands of spaghetti, but his hands can literally palm a basketball. I don't know what it is about this that I find so attractive. Maybe its the way his hands can also fit so gently around my waist or rest lightly on the back of my neck. There is such strength in those hands. Such power. And yet they are gentle enough to hold a sick puppy over our sink while he throws up for the third time in one morning. There's something lovely about a man like that. The power and the softer side. It's unnerving. It reminds me of the first time I saw him hold a can and thought, "My God he's going to crush that tiny aluminum can with those giant bear hands!" I can't say it enough, but I will always try. Thank you Garrett. For the nearly four and a half years that we've spent learning and loving. And this is where I must apologize, and why today was a a strange day. I was so mean to him this morning for NO REASON. Let me repeat myself men of the world, and take note: I, A WOMAN, NEARLY THE PICTURE OF PERFECTION IN EVERY WAY, WAS WRONG. I was a grouch to Garrett this morning. Oh it was awful. And I left him this morning feeling like a pile of steaming...well...you know. Let me make this very clear, that is one amazing man. I have mood swings like a teeter totter and he's always there to let me know that he still loves me. That he can approach every day with a laugh and a smile. He sleeps a full eight hours a night and admires himself in the mirror. He is kind and giving. Smart and loving. He is intelligent, and successful and treats our puppy like a prince. I love you always Garrett, my handsome protector. Thanks for putting up with my girliness and my bitchiness and all of the 'ness that makes me, me.
How was your day?