I am a planner. I like figuring out what we’re going to do, when we’ll do it and what we need to do whatever it is we’ll be doing. I like making plans almost as much as I like making lists. I like “executing” the plans (as they say in corporate-speak) and seeing my plans come to fruition.
Life, however, often has other ideas.
And that usually means your plans fly out the window (bye, bye) and you have to adapt and make new plans.
And usually, I’m okay with that.
But there are those times when your plans get changed, and changed, and changed.
And when that happens the only thing you can do is throw your plans out the window and give up any hope of making new plans and just live minute-by-minute. And sometimes, that is when the best things happen. When you throw the plans out the window and just LIVE.
This past week was one of those times.
The original plan (from months ago and part of our yearly tradition) was that we would be heading to my mom’s for the week of New Year’s – we drive down early in the week and hang out there, visiting with family and enjoying a low country boil (it’s a Southern thing – boiled shrimp, potatoes, corn and sausage cooked in a spicy blend) and sit outside by the fire until midnight with our family and friends.
Then, we all got sick.
So, in the interest of not making everyone down there sick, we decided not to go down. And that was okay. I made a new plan.
I figured I’d spend the week tucked in my house, scrapbooking, blogging, and enjoying my family. We made tentative plans with the neighbors for a mild celebration on New Year’s and I went shopping for food to prepare.
Then, we got another change in plans.
My step-dad’s father passed away. Now, this wasn’t really a surprise. He was 89 years old. He had been in increasingly declining health and had really taken a downturn in the last few weeks. We knew it was coming, we weren’t surprised.
So, plan “C” kicks into gear and off we head to my mom’s after all. This time, we’re planning a funeral and working on a menu to prepare for the guests.
And here I have been since Thursday. At my mom’s. And you know what? Although it is not how you would want to spend your time, it has been great. For a change, we have been the ones to take care of them (my mom and step-dad). SuperMan and I spent most of Friday cooking and getting things ready.
Today was the funeral. I was able to be there and stand beside my step-dad for support. It was nice to support him instead of him supporting me (as he has done in so many ways all these years – he’s really been my father for most of my adult life and I love him as if he was).
It wasn’t how we’d planned to spend our New Year’s weekend. It certainly wasn’t what we’d have chosen if we’d been asked weeks ago. But, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 