I don't get out much . . . at all. I did, for the first time, get to Target on Friday with Merritt in tow. That is a pretty major milestone considering how long Merritt goes without eating. And, it was freaking cold this Friday . . . like you thought the chill would take the skin off your nose.
This weekend, though, I was able to see so many of my friends that I haven't seen for months. Cool Friend Elise hosted a baby shower to introduce Merritt. It was wonderful to see so many ladies come, some from quite a distance, to meet Merritt and tell me that they cared. Goodness knows that we are all very busy, and it was nice to visit with friends. One very creative touch was that they all signed a quilt that Elise made--which created a lasting artifact of a very meaningful gathering. And, yes, Everett did consider stealing it because it is so SOFT, but it remains mine to use.
The party was such a blessing for someone that has been isolated for quite a while. In general, we wanted to stay away from the public because of prime germ time . . . but even everyday excursions were eliminated and replaced with extreme sleep deprivation--given Merritt's needs. This period has been really hard to handle. Seeing my friends, seeing how they took time for me, and seeing how happy they are for me and the next phase of our life was a "bucket filler." Thank you so much, Ladies!
COLOR TWO
We've had to do some major work to get the townhouse ready to sell. Given the market, the "detailed touches" of the home have to be perfect compared to a couple of years ago. This has created a work burden for us which wouldn't be as hard to weather if we weren't so sleep deprived, didn't have a very short amount of time to do it--and the fact that we have a newborn and a toddler put a major time consumer on projects.
Enter in two amazing people who came to help us this weekend paint the huge area walls in our living room. The walls are really high and full of angles (which is great architecturally). I didn't think that we would be able to do it. But, because of their thoughtfulness and willingness to set aside their busy lives, we were able to get a great start on it. Their help has made the difference between a crazy sleep deprived mother and just a regular sleep deprived mother.
COLOR THREE
Comforting emails, soothing phone calls, a random offer of dinner, loan of a ladder, a spontaneous hug, and an insightful offer of help have provided comfort for me this week. It has been really hard. Hard because we are facing a major transition and hard because the sleep deprivation makes minor things seem like huge hurdles.
It has been amazing to see the selflessness of others particularly when they are giving to someone who has been out of the loop for awhile. I haven't been the most social creature for much of the past year and the acts of kindness aren't dictated by what I do for others. No "tit for tat" with this group. People are helping because they care about us and love us. What a powerful and humbling thing friendship is.
(sometimes passive voice just feels better to use)
