Oh, what a difference a day makes
That cold snap that I wrote about in the last blog is all but gone. Yes, the mornings are still a little cold, but nothing like those two days were. And today, the sun is shining brightly, adding some much-needed warmth to the outdoors. I am continuing weeding and adding the hay, a small bit each day, though I must admit I got way laid yesterday with other things and didn’t get around to it. I can really see the benefit of the last lot of hay I added in this part of the garden I am doing now, as there are hardly any weeds.
A blog I wrote a couple of days ago is also in the forefront, this one about the physical ailments of friends. Still another was knocked over by a dog last weekend, breaking her tibia. She was hospitalized for a week and discharged on Friday evening. Because of the place the leg was broken (top of the bone where the femur sits), no operation was carried out and my friend is thus allowed zero weight-bearing. It is extremely difficult for her. Whilst she can get around on her walker, there is so much she can’t do, and any hospital-based help she may get is not available until tomorrow. So I have been doing what I can to help.
But this highlights the difficulties for people living on their own. There is so much one takes for granted when one is in a relationship, and that’s not just having someone to talk to, but also having someone to assist us should we need it. When I had my pericarditis, I was too sick to drive. Luckily Stephen was able to do this for me and the odd jobs I had difficulty doing myself. Even when I was massaging, it was certainly helpful having Stephen there to hang out the washing between clients. When I was single, I did all that myself and was so much busier. It is nice to share the work load.
I guess the issue facing all of us as we get older, is that one of us will die first, leaving the other to cope on their own. And it may also be that one of us may get badly hurt or incapacitated, leaving the other to care for us. Either way, I can foresee difficulties ahead for all of us as we age. In our European culture, rest home care seems to be the norm rather than taking care of an elderly relative. I know some do and do a valiant job of looking after their loved ones, while others don’t. I know I would not expect my children to take care of me, and I don’t think they would anyway. Whilst I dream that I can stay in my own home right until the end, this might not happen.
Which brings me to another point. I have been trying to incorporate some lazy yoga into my day – one that the facilitator told us not to feel guilty about doing. She was making an assumption that lazy yoga was a step down for everyone. For me this was quite the opposite and many steps up on the ‘nothing other than walking’ I have been doing. But I am hoping to get a little more supple to aid my body going forwards.
Speaking of which, it is probably time for me to do this yoga now.