More Tapestry of Life
Except now its kind of more like the Rich Tapestry of Dying...N is wrapping up her business, and preparing to die. My brother is calm and everyone (including a very talented hospice counselor who specializes in kids who experience loss) is helping J, their 6 yr old son, navigate choppy waters.
N's immediate family is gathering, and my Mom continues to do well and even improve. I believe I'm seeing an emotional miracle taking form in her; she's focusing helpful energy on my brother's family in a way that was not possible for her before. She's realizing that N's emotional withdrawing over the past two years was probably part of her healing/dying process and this realization has caused Mom to completely let go of a heap of resentment and hurt feelings. Whew!
I have a big professional committment on Wednesday, and so we are planning to go there on Thursday, together. I'm so grateful that J and I can do this together; the emotional intensity of both families, and a wide array of relationships, and a six year old would be daunting to handle alone. If N dies much before that, I'll try to have a fall-back plan in place so we can go sooner, but if death is anything like birth, it might possibly take a little while.
And in other breaking news: the Madison Chicken Coop Tour is today! We were able to do sufficient yard work and coop cleaning between rainstorms yesterday so as not to completely embarass ourselves, and the chickens are happy and lovely as always. I'm going to give lettuce away to everyone who comes that will take some. My goal is to have all of the first and second lettuce crops gone by the end of the day; the third crop is more than plenty to hold us for the short interval that it will stay sweet now that summer is truly here.
And a state of bliss was reached by the two farmer girls here at Fremont Farm two days ago when we picked these:
Thereby demonstrating that there is, in fact, a richness to life and some sort of balance even in transitions.
Please join me in sending every kind of blessing and well-wish to my brother and his family. And take some for yourselves, while you're at it, there is plenty for everyone!