Holding On

It has been about two months since being discharged from the hospital. Lately, Roland has been doing about the same.   His work days were exhausting and he came home and just wanted to rest.  He loves it when the college kids come to visit as they did this weekend.  When we play games together he forgets his discomforts for a while.    He usually enjoys the distraction of visitors, but yesterday and especially today were not good.  He didn't want any food.  I played the guessing game, but didn't have many victories.  Anti-nausea medicine was the clear winning answer.    He would get cold easily.  I have been taking his temperature several times a day, but it hasn't gone above 99.  Reece's idea for cheering him this week was checking out several Calvin and Hobbes books from the library.  This did bring lots of laughter.  It was a great distraction.  I came into our room a few times when Roland was asleep and an opened book of these comics was on his tummy.  Our neighbor is a fabulous trumpet player.  He and his wife asked if they could visit.  I suggested that he bring his trumpet and play some uplifting tunes for Roland.  When they came, Roland didn't want to get out of bed, but of course he could hear the trumpet well from the bedroom.  :-)  It was beautiful.  Today it occurred to me that many of our family, friends, and neighbors have been figuratively running ahead on our adventure trail and planting flowers so they would be in bloom when we would reach that stretch of the path or laying stones into inspirational messages for us to read on the steeper rugged climbs.  We are so appreciative of these kind acts of compassion and thoughtfulness.