After we were home from our trip to Tuscon for our daughter’s wedding for a couple of weeks, I realized that I needed to take another trip. We’d checked almost daily on Sylvia and with the rest of the Louisiana family to see how things were going with her. She was home, sleeping in a recliner, but wouldn’t be released for any physical therapy until she was 6 weeks post op.

I began to think. Unlike my in-laws in Louisiana who work full time and having been taking turns staying overnight with Sylvia to assist her as needed, I don’t presently work outside of my home. I work many different jobs, but all are flexible and essentially from my laptop and I have children who don’t need me as much as they used to. I’m also trained in manual therapy and I know how to care for post operative shoulder patients. So, after talking with Bruce, we decided that I would go and live with Sylvia for about a month. I could take care of her, oversee her exercises, cook, grocery shop, do laundry and house work. I could also fill her freezer with meals that could last an additional month or more after I leave.

When I arrived to a very appreciative Sylvia, I noticed that the navel orange tree branches on the side yard were reaching the ground heavy with incredible oranges … I absolutely love oranges.

Sylvia slowly healed and we prepared for her to eventually be under the care of physical therapists. In the meantime, I helped her dress, wash and dry her hair, and encouraged her to slowly regain confidence in her left arm and get quite acquainted with her brand new shoulder joint. I took care of my mother-in-law, and it was about time the tables were turned. She had moved in with us after the births of all of our twins so she could help us with all of the needs of our house and help take care of our older children needs so I could focus on myself and my newborns. I knew I could be of much-needed assistance and more support. Feeling needed is a gift in and of itself.

During my weeks in Houma, Louisiana, Sylvia and I talked about everything, laughed about a lot, watched countless movies, enjoyed Thanksgiving at my niece’s home (so strange not being with my own family, but I was with family just the same), and ate way too much ice cream. Slowly, Sylvia began to regain her strength, her stamina and her desire to get back into life. She accepted an invitation to be picked up by a friend so she could go to a sorority meeting that she’s been a member of for decades, and I went along. I was honored to spend time with ladies that she’s spent time with over the years.

We enjoyed dozens of oranges and when the time came for me to return home, I took a few with me. But before I left, she had her first two appointments with her physical therapist. I asked lots of questions and was assured that she was in excellent hands.

I got home and was happy to reunite with my family, just in time to start planning Christmas. Christmas this year would be a quiet one after all of the traveling and excitement of the past fall.

A song that I’d written and recorded between our return from AZ and my trip to LA was finalized, mixed and mastered in our recording studio in Jacksonville while I was out of town. On December 15th, I released “My Cool Drink of Water” a melodic and lyrical expression of my appreciation of God during these challenging and confusing times. It was the official start of the 3rd album Kenny and I will be working on in 2022.

We did indeed have a very blessed Christmas, and prayed very hard for a new year free of the challenges we’d had during the last two.