Highlights: Lauren's return to LG Friday was rewarding for all. Aqui takeout with my mom and the kids. Over the past two days, I checked off two more of the last of the sought LPs (13 left) after a visit to the flea market, and the day prior, I succeeded in finding a home for the surplus LPs through one of the vendors which I felt great about as it helps them and myself too. Now I have a friend in the business. :-). I put time into cleaning the house with Lauren's help before Jen's return, and we (Lauren and Scottie) went to get her from SFO. Still, Tommy didn't come after all, which was a godsend because I had forgotten that I'd previously agreed to pick her AND Jon and Cheryl up. So we barely had a room as it was! Forgetting that was a faux pas on my part and a bit concerning too. She had a great time, and for the first time in over a month, we are again under the same roof. It's a beautiful feeling, although it still feels odd at times. Earlier today, I was sorting out some files and came across videos I have from Linda's stay in SRC, from the initial days to the final day. It's brutally sad to revisit and realize how what happened to her so suddenly and yet how long her life was spent in decline. Something I'll always regret is that even with all I did to be supportive and engaged in those final days, I never got to confront her situation with her directly and never really got to say goodbye in a way that might have been a healthy exchange. As years of my emails help me recall from time to time, I repeatedly tried to find some common ground and peace, which only came in that final year. A recent podcast reminded me about how in a relationship, what's precious and valued at the outset can, over time, become routine and taken for granted, which is an awareness I hope I retain with my kids and Jen. It's all in transition and temporary. The other night I reflected on that as I heard the familiar 'click' of Jen's breathing as she sleeps, something I found endearing at the start and allowed to become commonplace, but I've missed it this week, and here it is again beside me. I'm glad she's home, and she knows it.
⚖️: 169.8 (+2) (7d avg: 169.29) | 👣: 8542 | ❤️: 64 | 🧘: 0