Update 4/6/10 Day 148

Dear friends,

Jack Bauer couldn’t save the day last night, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Let’s face it, no one can keep saving the world week after week and never miss the mark. Except, of course, the Great One. And even He has to work with that stubborn free will He knit into the fabric of humanity. (He still wins, of course, but I do declare we give Him no end of trouble! For now things look ugly, and the process is messy, but in the end He is the victor for sure!) I will miss 24 next year. We have been watching Jack give it to the bad guys since season 1, and he’s taken a beating for his trouble. You may not agree with his tactics, but his selfless devotion to others is a virtue I want to own. I know he’s a fictional character, but I have learned a lot of truth through stories, fairy tales and movies. Jesus, of course, was the master storyteller. He got through to rich rulers and homeless beggars alike with the power of a story…

Smitty is a rock, I tell you. He killed a spider for me last night. It required that he get up on a stool with those lousy bum legs, and smush the thing without messing up my beautifully painted walls, while I made the noises I always make when there is an insect within 20 feet of my person. It was truly heroic, as he had to hold on for dear life and not kill himself in the process. Of course his right arm won’t bend or reach, so he had to do it left armed, but he got that sucker and didn’t even soil my wall in the process. Homeric! He had some choice words for me as I commented and whimpered while he performed his feat of derring do, but hey, it was nothing compared to the cockroach event. That was many moons ago in Brooklyn, and involved a broom, Stephen, and my brother. Needless to say I was ordered from my apartment while they killed the beast. I was a bit disruptive to the operation…

More OT for the man Wednesday, when Sunnyview’s Sweet Sandy (a pit-bull in a bunny’s clothing), continues her personal war with Steve’s uncooperative elbow and shoulder. I love that girl. With a smile, she tortures for healing, and she has single handedly bought my husband a few more centimeters of motion. It doesn’t sound like much, but every bit matters in the functions of daily life. Ask Steve about tying a tie, and he’ll tell you that another inch or two would mean the world. Don’t ever take for granted the ease with which you gents can do it.

My little princess continues to recover, and her darling friends have been so good to her through this entire process. She’s on her second consecutive sleepover tonite (aka wake over, but Magnificent Mary Louise will pull the plug before it gets too late), and I can only say thank you to these young girls who have loved Hannah through thick and thin. This week we will consult a plastic surgeon to discuss how to move forward with the scarring on her face and legs. I can’t begin to express how proud I am of my daughter. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself ever, and you all can imagine a young teenage girl’s feelings about her face and teeth. The Great One will surely give her more blessings than she could have ever imagined for the things she has had to endure in her sweet soul. Her pilgrim road will be marked forever by the accident. But like Jack Bauer, her battering will make her one who endures. And one who cares.

A quick holler out to my friends at Albany Med, and to our Director, Cathy P. Thank you all for the love over these months, and for making me feel so welcome coming back! All that donated time off was incredible. You guys are simply the best! I loved working with you tonite, Kind Cara. And thank you for the encouraging comments on this blog during my absence.

Time for bed. Hopefully there are no more spiders lurking about. I think we need a cane attachment so Smitty won’t have to stand on something to kill the terrors. We could call it the “Jack Bauer Cane”. Meanwhile, may your bedrooms be clear of all winged or crawling creatures, and know that I will always be…

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann

P.S. Please keep praying for Judy W. And those poor souls (hopefully alive) in the mine shafts of West Virginia.