Hits and Misses (June 26 - July 2)

Here's a look back at the week that was....

HITS

• I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend a little time with extended family this week. I wish the circumstances had been a little happier, but it is always nice when we are able to get together. Now that the Geriatric patients have seen that Jerry and Gail are doing better after a health scare, I think we will be heading to the Houston area very soon.
• I continued to enjoy some down time this week and got in some more reading. You can check out my thoughts on Toni Morrison's God Help the Child and 3rd Degree by James Patterson on my book review blog, Reading for Me.
• Before I left Plainview for what was supposed to be only a few weeks, I left a copy of my key with one of the WBU students who lives next door to me. I knew it would be a good idea for someone to have access to my place in case of an emergency and this young man has earned my trust over the year that I've gotten to know him. While sitting at dinner with family on Thursday afternoon, I received a text message from Choncho letting me know that he had entered my apartment because he had been experiencing problems with insects after the recent rains and assumed I would have the same problem. So he took it upon himself to spray my apartment after he finished his and will be making a minor repair for me as well. It was just a great reminder that I am truly blessed to work at a place where everyone -- students and faculty -- are like family and take care of each other. Even though I've definitely enjoyed my summer in Arkansas with my parents, I'm looking forward to getting back to Plainview in a few weeks.

MISSES

• The week began with heartache. On Sunday morning, I arrived at church and met my mother who had received a phone call that morning telling her that Mom's youngest brother, Larry, was in the hospital and not doing very well. Mom and I decided to slip out of the service once I performed the morning's offertory. When we arrived at the hospital, we found Larry in the ICU. He was conscious and coherent, but the overall prognosis was not good. Mom was frustrated to learn that Larry had been in the hospital for 3 weeks and no one had bothered to inform the family. During the course of our visit, we learned that Larry's fight with leukemia as well as his failing kidneys were so severe that treatment was not really an option; Larry would be moved to hospice care in the hospital later that afternoon to keep him as comfortable as possible. Around 2:30 that afternoon, I received the call from the hospital that Larry passed away shortly after the move. A visitation was held on Thursday evening; there would be no memorial service since the body was to be cremated. The saddest part of the entire experience was the refusal of Larry's son, David, to visit his father in the hospital or to attend the visitation service.
• I continued to struggle with drainage this week, but now an unproductive cough has developed. It seems as though all of this began after the allergic reaction a few weeks ago, but there's also been a recent change to my drug regiment. A visit to the doctor is definitely in my future to see if I can get some relief from all of this mess!
• I had forgotten just how complicated it can be to coordinate travel schedules with the Geriatric patients. They have such a high level of commitment to their jobs -- a trait that has been lost by generations after them -- that they refuse to take time off for rest or sickness if it is not convenient for the work that needs to be done. Good grief! They are both pushing 80 years old. I think your loyalty to your job can finally take a back seat to enjoying your life. But I guess that just shows the difference between me and them....
• This week I sang on the worship team at AGM for the first time since leaving the position as worship leader. It was a good experience, but it goes under the misses because I haven't had an 8:30pm rehearsal on a Friday night in a very long time! I don't know if I've just gotten spoiled or if I'm getting too old for this. Either way, Saturday morning was a blur and I felt more like a mummy than a human being after a late session.