Thursday, July 5th, 2012…the day was different. It was a good different. Actually, it was so different that I can’t find the right words to express the experience. If I could somehow capture all of the positive words that exist in the universe and beyond then I might be able to come close to explaining how wonderfully different Thursday was.
Rather than focus on how I got to Thursday, July 5th I will just describe the day as it was. For those of you that know me you will understand. And for those that are meeting me through my words for the first time I am simply a mother who has a loved one that lives with a mental illness. She has overcome tremendous challenges including two suicide attempts to get to Thursday…
The day began just like any other, and it moved on as well just like any other. As the day moved along Kim and I escaped the heat by doing some shopping around town. By late afternoon we ended up at the mall. We comfortably walked through the mall gazing at the different shoppes. We entered a few that caught our interest, and we even took the time to try on some clothes. In addition to perusing several unique boutiques we wandered into Bath & Body Works. We soon discovered a new scent we both want! We laughed when we realized that we had sampled one too many scents to the point that we couldn’t determine one scent from the other. Kim and I had become a walking swirl of Bath and Body Works scents. Soon after we enjoyed a cup of coffee and then leisurely headed home to make dinner. It wouldn’t be just any dinner. Bill, Kim and I had agreed that Kim would be making dinner.
In an effort to find a healthier balance and create a more relaxing family environment I told the kids recently that they would each be making dinner at least once during the week if they came over. I did this because that way we all share in the responsibility rather than it falling on Bill or I, especially since the kids are grown now. So that is what Kim did last Thursday night. It was probably one of the best dinners I have ever had. We didn’t have Paul or Katlin with us so it wasn’t quite complete, but it was wonderfully different. Kim created two vegetarian pizzas with whole wheat crusts complete with a salad. The food was healthy, fresh, colorful and delicious. Needless to say she did a fantastic job! I shared with her how much it meant to me to see her doing the cooking this time. She smiled and agreed. There was something very special about Kim making dinner. Maybe it was because this was a first or maybe it was because we are so blessed that she is still with us. Maybe it was because it was meant to be noticed. When it was time for dinner she called Bill to come join us. As he walked around the corner he looked pleasantly surprised. A big smile crossed his face. So all three of us sat eating, smiling, talking and enjoying one another…..together.
Growing stronger…