A Good Day

I had a thoroughly good day today. I was home all day, nothing extraordinary or particularly wonderful happened, just a typical laid back day filled with mundane activities. But I really appreciate the "everyday" day, the expected and the normal. I appreciate what's not in my day (stress and work) as much as I appreciate what is in it. I can call my own shots, do things on my own schedule, and work as hard or as little as I like. I love it!

I had an early doctor's appointment. Then I came home and started my day as a slave in the kitchen, a willing slave, I might add. It's our turn to bring the food for Bible study tomorrow night. I got into my head to pre-make baozi for the group. I tripled the batch this time. While the yeast dough was rising for three hours, I took a nap with Kitty and then went jogging for 45 minutes. What a beautiful sunny day it was!

After the baozi was made, I started on dinner for hubby. After dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, I made daikon and pork rib soup for tomorrow's dinner. Then I tripled-washed a couple of times what seemed like an insane amount of spinach, also for tomorrow night. We all know how much spinach shrink with cooking so I hope it's enough for 8 people! Finally, I double-tasked TV watching and dish washing to finish the day off. I was really tired after all that. But it was a 'good' tired, like I can sit back on the couch without guilt and just enjoy the soreness of my muscles knowing its there for a good reason. There is still laundry that need to be folded, but no problem, there's tomorrow, I have no deadline to meet and no boss to answer to! I still have several pages in "The Jesus I Never Knew" to read for tomorrow's lesson, and that shall be my last task of the night. Meanwhile hubby is studying through the night.

I have decided to postpone my scarf-knitting 'til next month because I realize I'm getting too busy. It's enough that I initiated myself into the art of knitting for now. Here's my weekly schedule this month: spending roughly 20 hours at "work," exercising (jogging and aerobics classes) 2-3 times a week, cooking dinner and washing dishes daily, doing laundry, grocery shopping and other things that a housewife do to keep the home functioning. I am behind in studying for my CS exam, and I really need to step up thereby the decision to postpone my scarf-making. In fact, I'll celebrate the end of the exam with shopping for yarn in April.

Kitty has been sleeping what seemed like all day today. She sleeps a lot already, so more than usual for her means I have hardly seen her move. In fact, she only went out once. I would wake her up by picking her up, and when I put her down somewhere, she would go right back to sleep. Just today, she has slept on the bed, on the couch, on a chair, on the carpet, on the tile, in the closet, and in her "hole." Hubby surmised that she might have a fever. She's had her usual good appetite today so I'm not too worried that she's sick, but still, why sleep so much, Kitty?? I wish I could just ask her! I Googled "cat with fever" for enlightenment. BTW, I have been increasing my knowledge of veterinary medicine, but of course that's the natural thing to do when you're a pet owner.

I know one day Kitty will get sick and beyond help and she'll leave us. It'll be an upsetting time indeed. I think about this often, is that strange of me? But at the same time, I always feel a bout of elation when I see her knowing she is healthy for now. I can never take my loved ones' health for granted because I know it can be gone tomorrow. Yes I know that sounds trite, but it's a very potent truth to me. Fortunately, the ones on Earth I love the most, my husband and my parents, are all in good health right now. But I know one day, soon or late, their health will fail them and I will be faced with the reality of losing them. It is my single greatest fear, but I know God and friends will help me get through it when the time comes. Still, it is my fear, and I can only hope I'll handle it well when that day dawns on me. I'm not scared for my own health, however. I think it's much easier to be the sick one and have your loved ones next to you than being the healthy one taking care of a sick family member. Perhaps this is selfish, but when you're sick, you can concentrate on being sick and you know when you die, heaven awaits. I think it's much harder to worry about a loved one, to watch them suffer and then try to pick up the pieces in this world alone after they die. Hubby and I often jest with each other about who will die first. To my deep chagrin, he believes he will, but I secretly hope I will. Afterall, who will take care of me in my dying days after he's gone? Simply, there isn't anyone else I love as much and connects with as much as him. Dying without him next to me will be very lonely. Okay, one can say his spirit will be with me, but that's hardly the same thing! Is this morbid? Well, it's what's in my head. Perhaps it's not so morbid given that I deal with the sick, the suffering, or the dying on a nearly daily basis. I have had time to think about these things, and prepare myself for them. So often, I see very sick patients in the hospital and their families all around them. Truly, I don't know who suffers more, often I find myself really feeling for the family. In moments like those, I always feel grateful knowing my hubby is sleeping and well at home. Or when I get a call from my parents and they have no bad news, I always take a moment to be happy for the absence of disease in them. Yes, I'm always on the guard for bad news regarding my husband and parents. I think one day when the bad news come, I won't even be very surprised. It's way of protecting myself, you see. If I expect it, I'm not so defeated by it when it comes. It's a fear in me but also an armor around me. It's this mentality that enables me to fully appreciate a simple day like today. When we have our health, we are already rich and blessed many times over without anything else. Know that days like today are numbered and are to be treasured.