Friday, January 19, 2018

Never Normal...

Things are never totally stable in my house...boring is definitely not our thing (well, it CAN be our thing...just not that often).

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Last Friday, Willow tried to leave the school. On her own. Without any permission. Because she was depressed. Because she misses Grandma and the world is awful, bad things to happen to people and she has low self esteem and she thinks deep thoughts about death and dying and what things would be like if she was dead. Yes. THAT part was what got the schools attention. So, I left work, picked her up and we all made sure that she wasn't going to be suicidal. She is not. She is depressed and she overwhelmed, hormonal and intellectually growing into her own. Therapist suggests medicine may be the answer for now...and it probably is in the near future...given that Chewy, Michael and other people in the family are on prozac...this is not that surprising. That it is Willow...is surprising.

But--she is growing and changing. So there is that. I had a meeting at the school today and it looks like we are heading towards 504 territory. Impressions from the meeting: She is smart, likes to think deep thoughts; loves to read--even when she should be paying attention to teacher and classroom; she says I am her best friend. So. I guess I will take this as a positive meeting and hopeful progress towards helping her out.

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Michael had his first (short) week of school this week--and showed last night the first signs of some anxiety about the course load. Basically, that feeling you get at a new job, or when you see your school syllabuses the first time--that feeling time 10 for Michael. He should be fine, he just has to take it one step at a time. This weekend is buying text book time!

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This weekend is also the first rehearsal for the Northeastern Treble Chorus that Willow is so excited to be a part of...kinda makes the weekend a bit more hectic....


Thursday, January 04, 2018

Old Year Poem

Burning the Old Year

Letters swallow themselves in seconds.
Notes friends tied to the doorknob,
transparent scarlet paper,
sizzle like moth wings,
marry the air.

So much of any year is flammable,
lists of vegetables, partial poems.
Orange swirling flame of days,
so little is a stone.

Where there was something and suddenly isn’t,
an absence shouts, celebrates, leaves a space.
I begin again with the smallest numbers.

Quick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves,
only the things I didn’t do
crackle after the blazing dies.

-Naomi Shihab Nye

Much Needed Self Care...

For my Birthday this year, I got a weekend away from everyone at a nice hotel with a spa.  This was the weekend.  And much needed it was! Af...