Health.  Something I know I have taken for granted far too often.  Not necessarily my own, as I am keenly aware of how I am feeling, but my loved ones.  More recently, the assumption my family is healthy because no one is complaining has been brought into sharper focus showing me just exactly how tenuous our loved one’s health can be.  And how Mom was always right, never assume because…well you know.

Through the years my husband and I have been blessed with a relatively healthy life for ourselves, our children and parents.  Hospital and doctor visits are generally necessitated by check-ups and injuring ourselves while playing.  More recently, with our parents saying good-bye to their 70’s and welcoming their 80’s, doctor and hospital visits have become more frequent and at times more a part of the daily routine rather than the exception.  Most recently our son was ill for an extended period of time (not wanting to be left out of the fun I suppose) but the grandparents seemed to be holding their own.  No one was in the hospital.  Sure one had a cast on for a broken wrist, one has having follow up visits with an oncologist for skin cancer, one was scheduled to have outpatient hernia surgery, but overall everyone seemed to be doing okay.  Until one evening my husband called his dad and I could tell via the phone conversation he was quite ill.  We made arrangements to meet my father-in-law at the emergency room that evening and as I left, I looked at my son, who was still recovering, and said ‘You know, it’s like everyone keeps falling off a shelf.  We get one person healthy and back on the shelf and someone else falls off.  We just need everyone up on the shelf together, then we’ll all hang on so no one falls off.’  My son chuckled a little and said he was already climbing back on the shelf.

Later at the hospital, trying to lighten the mood with my husband, I repeated my shelf theory to him and he seemed to appreciate the sentiment.  He then relayed it to his mom and dad over the next few days and they found humor in the in visualization as well.  We have since shared this philosophy with all our family members and find we are now often greeted with a “I’m on the shelf today” or “I’m climbing back on the shelf” before we even have a chance to ask how someone is doing.  And, as I sit here and share these words, I visualize all my loved ones, miniaturized and standing together on a white-washed wood shelf.  Our arms wrapped around each other in love. Or perhaps self preservation.  I’m not quite sure which, but undeniably, we are all on the shelf together.

Hoping you and your loved ones remain up on your shelf during your blessed and heartfelt journey! ~♥~