Waiting

The winter solstice is nigh.  It will happen tonight.  I’m grateful for that.  Tomorrow there will be a little more light.  Each following day will be little longer. Today was very pleasant with a high in the low 40s.  That’s much better than temps below zero.

People might consider me more than a little strange.  I do admit I have some quirks.  I’ve probably overlooked most of them because I’ve had these quirks for so long. One of those quirks has to do with impatience.  I’m not always impatient, just sometimes. I’m impatient at red lights which eventually turn green and the person driving at the beginning of the queue is colorblind or wants a different shade of green or is busy texting. 

Impatience for something that is supposed to happen at a certain time is another quirk.  If an appointment is for a time certain then it should begin at that time. Tuesday I went to the Prairie Center for my infusion of immunotherapy.  These appointments always begin with a blood draw, then an appointment with the doctor and then the infusion. The infusion is 30 minutes, the doctor’s appointment 15 minutes and the blood draw usually not more than 15 minutes. I do understand that the lab has to process the blood so the doctor can inform me about what is going on with the cancer. That takes time. After waiting for the infusion for “a while,” I was informed that the procedure had changed and I needed to check in at the scheduling desk. Surprise!  That put me at the end of another line. Finally, I was shown to an infusion room and the medicine could be ordered from the pharmacy. This usually takes an hour. Long story short, my hours worth of medical needs required my presence from 9:30 until 2:00. 

I’m grateful for the good friend who spent her time with me while waiting.  I’m grateful for other friends from the Sudan and Sioux Falls who came to see me during the procedure. 

It appears that all is going well. The blood work all shows progress or a holding pattern. More will be revealed at the end of January when I have another CT scan and MRI. 

Another quirk — Christmas cards.  When I told someone that I intended to do the Christmas cards on Friday the friend remarked that “habit” had been given up a long time ago. In the advice column in the newspaper someone had lamented that they received fewer and fewer Christmas cards each year. I remember my mother awaiting the news at Christmas from friends far and near. I find myself in the same place now.  It is so good to hear from friends who probably write once each year. That contact is such a joy. I do enjoy choosing the card and sending it out. As I said to one former student who wondered about the value of cards, at my age if I don’t send them people will think I’m no longer present on this earth!

The cards are in the mail. I’ve been to several exercise classes, to work out at the gym, to choir practice, to worship with our Benedictine group, to volunteer at the Pavilion, to celebrate the Eucharist at Dow Rummel Village and to finish the Christmas shopping. It’s been a good week with good news again. I’m grateful. I’m grateful for you and your support and prayers. I’m grateful for how well I feel. I’m grateful for tomorrow, the fourth Sunday in Advent, and for the coming feast of Christmas. I hope and pray that your celebration will fill you with joy.

The birthplace of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Nativity, Bethlehem