Friendships: Super Girls (and Guys)

It's a subject that's been popping up in my brain a lot lately.  I've had some "Friendship Seminars" for my third grade girls during lunch (I am pretty sure third grade is that magical time when the whole idea of "She's MY BFF" comes alive for many girls).  Sometimes, the need to be a part of a half can drive out rational thought if you're 9.  Or 99.  So between mediating third grade friendships and watching my daughter set her first excited footstep on  Friendship Road has got me reflecting on my own friendships.

The cool thing about my friendships is that we play different roles in one another's lives - all equally important, yet all uniquely different.  There are work friends, friends that go "way back", family members who are friends, new friendships, Rich's friends that have now become MY friends too, and on and on....

While all of these friendships may have started for different reasons (some out of choice, some out of situation), they all involve the same core value: a genuine concern for one another. 

I see that genuine concern for others in my 8 and 9 year olds, and I see it in my own friendships.

Thank God we are not meant to walk through this life alone.  Thank God we have friends that can walk alongside us in the hard times and skip alongside us in through the fun times.

Ironically, as I'm typing this, Annessa announced to me that she and her friend at school are "Super Girls" - "We save people when they are hurt.  We draw pictures for people in the hospital."

Yes, my dear, that is what friends do - save each other when one is hurting.  Offer your unique gifts to bring them happiness.

To all of my Super Girls (and Guys): Thank you for your friendship.  Thank you for giving yourself when it may not have been convenient because your plate was full with your own stuff.  Thank you for loving the good, the bad and the ugly and never, never judging.  May I be able to return the favor now and forever. 

Love,
Autumn

A Rich-Date

I was just rereading some of Caring Bridge the other day (what craziness that was...).  Anyway, I realized that on my "sign-off" I promised to give "Rich-Dates" frequently.  So here goes.....

Physically, Rich continues to improve with each week that goes by.  He will still need more surgery though.  He has a hernia from the stomach tube that was put in to feed him (which conveniently gives him an excuse now for not doing the sit-ups he always avoided...).  He also still has a screen that was put into an artery near his heart to catch possible clots.  This screen may or may not have to be removed (we are thinking it's probably safer to just keep it in than risk the artery collapsing). Nevertheless,  Rich is hoping for a big "No" on that one as they would have to go in through his jugular to remove it.  Creepy.

He also has developed this nice looking volcano-thing about the size of a pencil eraser on his lower left leg.  This nifty thing erupts with blood form time to time (which was just lovely when it erupted on his mom's carpet last weekend....).  The God's of Medicine are thinking it's a vein that was never tied off (cause there were so many!), and this vein started growing up until it reached the skin.  Nice, huh?  So,  for now Rich has been experimenting with the suggestions of the wound care nurses.  We are hoping that we can avoid surgery on this, but we are starting to see the writing on the wall.  The bummer part of the surgery would mean he would have to be off of his legs until it healed (right now, he wears his legs outside of the house and is in his chair at home). 

Aside from those little issues, Rich is doing okay.  He started to work-out again with a new sit-down-eliptical-thingy we got.  We laugh because technically, he is supposed to stay under 275 lbs in order to walk on his computerized leg.  If you know Rich, you know what a struggle that was back in the day when he could actually RUN.  As a result, I think sales of the "6-pack and a Pound" at Taco John's has dropped dramatically! 

Mentally, it's been interesting (insert joke here).  My mom and Rich had a long conversation one afternoon and Rich mentioned how pretty the leave in the back yard were.  We realized that he missed seeing the leaves change last year.  This brought on a whole bunch of feelings.  Rich would tell you that this month has been the hardest because he is realizing how long he was asleep.  To him, the coma felt like a day - not 42 - or whatever it was.  Every day that passes is another day he was asleep.  A year ago he was fighting for his life every day and now we are watching the Brewers.  Crazy. 

He's starting to think about what our retirment years will be like:  How many years he realistically has on his legs, where the best climate is for us to move when walking gets too tough (no snow, not too hot...).  Now is the mental healing I guess.  We are over the shock, over the denial, now we are thinking hard about what our life will be like.  Trying to be optimistic, yet realistic at the same time. 

                                             The three of us at my aunt's wedding a few weeks ago.

Anyway - there you have it folks.  That's the "Rich-Date."  He continues to amaze me with his strength and determination.  Complain? Rarely.  Get pissed off? At times, but not as much as I do.  He really is an inspiring man and I am proud to be his wife.