Floating in the Storm

In the past week, there has been a lull in the storm.

My mother has regained a lot of her energy - which no one expected. She is not better, but she is doing well. She is keeping positive and is back to her old self, more or less, but she there is always an air of tiredness that hangs around her.

The support that has flowed to us has been endless, and we couldn't be more grateful. We're soldiering on, just as we did the first time.

But stress is high, and we've snapped at each other multiple times over absolutely nothing, simply because we can't hold it back. It's tense, but, for the moment, it's also steady.

And life is moving ever onward.

While my mother relaxes, my father and I watch over her like gargoyles. We hover without hovering, keep our eyes open as we wait, ready to jump into motion if ever needed. But we all do our best to also find time to be on our own of with our own friends to recharge and unwind.

I think I've had more coffee with people in these last few weeks than I have all year.

Even more - kickball started back up at the perfect time to relieve pent up stress and aggression at the entire situation. Nothing beats whacking the hell out of a ball and running in circles as hard as you can to release tension. Well, and also pegging strangers with said ball with no repercussion. Perhaps I should take up kickboxing, next.

Or a regular blogging schedule.

Either way, the hardships of chemotherapy has yet to fully hit and disarm our defenses. We're doing okay - well, not okay in the normal sense, but good enough. We are steady and strong and hopeful and together.

Soldier on.

-HC