There I was, in my studio in my house in New Jersey, making art and making plans for sales events, like the Borough of Glass Art Walk and Night Market in Glassboro last weekend (which got rained out entirely, but not until after I'd already canceled) and like this Fourth Friday in Pitman (which I will hope does not get rained out for the folks planning on being there, but I can't). And then last Tuesday I got a phone call that involved my father and the ER and some bloody vomit (not using British curse words here), and I dropped all the things (nearly literally) and flew to South Carolina on Wednesday. At the time, I planned to come home Friday, figuring it wasn't super serious, though I figured it might be an ulcer.
And then I was at the ICU where he stayed for several days, and the GI scope showed a malignant mass in his esophagus, and I extend my stay until today, and then until next Wednesday, and now I'm deciding how much further I can push it before I have to be in New Jersey for my own medical care in a couple of weeks. (Autoimmune issues means IV infusions, and I'm not about to miss out on the fun of my very own IV!)
So next week is a PET scan and an oncologist visit, and I have no idea when I will be back to making art (or back home with my sweetheart), but that is okay. Because it has to be okay. And I am grateful that I can be here where I am currently needed most. And I'm staying positive by protecting and raising my own energy as much as I'm able using the essential oils I brought along (shoutout to Patchouli for keeping me calm and Acceptance for living up to its name) and daily meditation. I'd add in exercise if only it weren't the temperature and moisture level of Satan's armpit down here.