Reflections

My friend Sara posted a similar list on her blog. She calls it a meme.

Copy and paste the list below into your own post, and then make bold (and/or italicize) all the things you have done.


Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band - Flute
Visited Hawaii - but need to go back since a 16 year old can't really enjoy the trip when her mom is going crazy with the sightseeing
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world - both (world is better)
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo - Snow White will live in infamy
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Been to a Broadway show in NY - loved Rent, Moving Out, Miss Saigon, and my favorite was Les Miserables
Ran a Marathon
Been in three states at once
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a Cruise
Seen Niagra Falls in Person
Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language - not to proficiency
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted - when I was 5
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - I love to swim but snorkeling in the big ocean is scary "as all get out"
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud - but then ran inside to wash my hands because I have a thing about my hands
Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Swam in the Mediterranean Sea
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout cookies
Gone whale watching
Gotten flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check
Saved a favorite childhood toy - does it count if my mother did all the saving for me?
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone - same darn arm twice (once at 5 once a few years ago - both times involved wheels under my feet)
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person - beautiful
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared my own meat
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous - a few - the most special being Michael J Fox
Joined a book club - 3 at the same time (bad move)
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

Lost

Over the past two weeks I have lost two things precious to me.  Both were entrusted to me by my late Jake.  One has found it's way back into my life.  The other is gone forever.

I was standing in front of a classroom when I realized the first item was gone.  I pushed my left hand from my right wrist up my arm and panicked when it dawned on me that it was gone.  I immediately felt naked without it, as I have worn it almost every day since Jake gave it to me.  It was the bracelet that he gave me as a wedding present.

I tore my house and my parent's houses apart looking for it.  I got on my knees and checked all the crevaces in the car to see if it dropped there.  I knew that if I lost it on the street, I might never see it again. For the past two weeks, along with the bracelet, I have been lost.  When I almost lost all hope, my mom called me this weekend to tell me that my dad had found it.  I felt like myself again.

The second thing was lost this weekend.  My beloved, crazy 15 year old puppy has lost his youth.  This became blatant this weekend when the milky film started forming over his eyes.  I thought he might be sick and started cleaning out his eye.  I did this several times a day.  When I bought him over to my folks with me for the Superbowl, they echo my fears that it appeared to be the beginning of cataracts.

Usually when you hurt him he shows his mean face and may even attempt to bite you.  This time, he just whimpered and turned his head.  He was uncomfortable and would try to paw at his eye, to no avale.

I knew this was going to happen.  Lately I watch him as he sleeps so I can see if he's still breathing.  But he's always had a youthful attitude and spunk about him.  With the eye problems came sluggishness.  Knowing this was bound to happen and it actually happening bring out two separate sets of emotions.

This morning, another sign that he is no longer my little puppy. In his sleep, he urinated on himself.

Some might think it ridiculous to get upset over a dog.  However, Arlo has always been more than a dog.  He was Jake's best friend ever since he was rescued from the shelter.  At first, the two of us didn't get along so well - the dog kicked me out of my own bed.  But our relationship has flourished, especially since Jake passed away.  I can lean over and ask for "kissy" and no matter what mood he's in, he'll put a smile on his face and lick.  I know - gross, a dog licking you.  Oh, get over it!

So in two weeks time I lost two things I love.  I got one back.  Now I need to deal with the loss of the other.  I don't know which one is worse - losing something given as a testament to forever, or losing the youthfulness of a friend and having to cope with the old age and eventual death of him.

 

Baby Arlo with Daddy.