The Bigger Picture

It's easy to become so mired in day-to-day drama, that when something horrific happens--namely the shootings that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus--it sets us one outside oneself so suddenly that the result is whiplash. It really makes one take a hard look at the bigger picture, doesn't it?? What's REALLY important in life? A tragedy of that magnitude makes everything else seem so trivial by comparison. How incredibly sad. Suddenly, all I can think of is: What if that had been LSU main campus and my daughter had been killed? The VA Tech Campus is just about the same size as LSU. The thought makes my stomach clench.

My prayers are with those who lost loved ones. May God bless and comfort the families, granting them his peace that passes all understanding.

Here's a quick update on the other trivialities of my life:
The first week of April was Spring break for husband and daughter; and they talked me into taking some time off from both jobs AND the notary public class I am taking, so that we could go to NW Arkansasfor a vacation. (Devil's Den State Park, I highly recommend it. Been there many times. Camping and cabins available, reserve cabins early.) It was great. (OK, maybe I needed the time away more than I would like to admit.) We hiked, explored some caves, and took literally hundreds of pictures. The dogwoods were blooming, but the surrounding trees hadn't yet leafed out, and the sun illuminated the dogwood, making them positively LUMINOUS. I can't even begin to describe it. The weather was fantastic, daytime temps in the 60's, nightimes maybe in the 40's. I want very much to post some photos--maybe I will have time this weekend.

Daughter had to go back to Baton Rouge on Easter Sunday, but we got to have a really nice Easter dinner. Husband's grandmother was with us from the nursing home and several family members we hadn't seen in months dropped by to visit.

The day after Easter, my sister-in-law "moved in". I set that apart for a reason. She "moved in" all her stuff and rearranged a room I had kind of unofficially appropriated as my own, but she comes and goes. It almost infuriates me, but then I think about how pathetic she's become and the most I can muster is some half-hearted resentment. She came supposedly to recuperate from a fall (?) that resulted in a torn calf muscle and terrible swelling of one foot. But she stays a day or two, and leaves a day or two, and then she's back. She's never asked to give account of where she goes or what she does. Her parents (with whom we ALL live, now) are hoping she will be able to get her life back together soon, and get another teaching job nearby, perhaps just across the border in TX.

She seems sober, now, except for pain medication for the leg injury. Progress, perhaps? (Cautious optimism.)

I worry a little about my hubby, at this point. He has said that it is hard for him, knowing that she has full bottles of the very drug to which he was so horribly addicted. I encouraged him to take in a few NA meetings. He has said he would consider it. Maybe just speaking it will give him the inner strength he needs to maintain his sobriety--almost 2 years now!