On Tuesdays, Two Writing Teachers hosts the Slice of Life. Everyone is welcome to share writing and comment on others in this special community.
As my youngest daughter closes in on her 22nd birthday, I can't help but remember the event that changed my life that happened 10 days before she was born. May 17, 2002. My father was on crutches due to his recent hip replacement. (Hip replacements have come a long way.) Since some prankster had smashed the mailbox with a baseball bat, my brother, a doctor, was in my parents' basement fixing it. Sometimes, control is a tough thing to give up, and my father couldn't, so he decided to head downstairs to supervise. Except he started with his foot instead of his crutch and went headfirst down the flight to a cement floor. Even now, the faint bloodstain is there if you know where to look. We all spent the summer supporting his TBI rehabilitation. And he spent the rest of his life-- 17 years-- with significant and life-altering conditions.
My husband is now exactly the age my father was when he fell, and this crossroads has impacted me. My word for 2024 is time. It's been a powerful one so far, nudging me to think about what I do with my time and how I plan for the future, nudging me to live with heightened awareness of how quickly time passes and how easy it is to think I'll do something someday-- and then not do it.
During an on-line PD session this afternoon, one of the participants came on early, and was writing and working as I welcomed her in. She apologized for multi-tasking, and I complimented her use of the extra few minutes. Then, we talked about time and how much we can both do given the luxury of a few extra minutes.
Funny how I can do so much in such short spurts of time-- and 22 years ago feels like it just happened... and like it was centuries ago.
Time really is so finny like that- how it can seem so fast and so slow- even when the span is the same. It sounds like it is a powerful word for you (and I am adding it to my list to consider for 2025).
ReplyDeleteTime, time, time- so much to say! What a painful memory, and after so many intervening years. (I am taking it as a reminder to move carefully as I age- the consequences can be great.) And how sad for your dad’s accident to be linked to the birth 10 days later, that must have been quite a fraught time. Then your show us a teacher making the most of a few spare minutes, something I think teachers EXCEL at. From 5 minutes to 22 years, thank you for the reminder to be mindful of time.
ReplyDeleteWhat a memory to conjure up and reflect upon. It’s funny how our minds work and what sparks a memory or a story. Thanks for sharing. ❤️Jess
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