Sixty Three Diapers and other Challenges

Another quiet moment suited for blog writing. One girl still sleeping the other fed , snuggled for a bit and now watching kid's shows.Yesterday I managed to squeeze in a visit to Gladys.It had been over a month since I'd seen her last as the days of July have been busy grand parenting. As always she quickly went in to story telling mode and during my short visit I saw glimpses of a life so fully lived. A trapped mouse scurrying around the bottom of her carry on bag on her cross Canada train trip with Charlotte. And the recollection of a young relative of Eldon's visiting and complaining about how much work there was to do on the farm. After given the task of hanging the laundry Deidre came back inside declaring the fact she had just hung out sixty three diapers.I thought of Gladys washing and putting each of those diapers through the wringer on a hot summer day. I thought of the multitude of tasks and challenges faced in ninety six years of living. I thought of my own collection of experiences and hurtles faced in my almost sixty three years. Those challenges change yearly and daily. My own pile of sixty three diapers different but just as daunting by times. Yesterday's difficulty was telling my seven year old granddaughter that her beloved kitty, Wendy had had to be put down the night before,that the white kitty she asks about in every conversation with her parents would not be at home to greet her when she returns. I held her while she sobbed and felt her deep sense of loss and sorrow.She talked to her mother , called her sister, fell into her uncle's encircling arms, called her Dad, spent time with her beloved 'twin'cousin,got caught up in the White family Game Night and found her way through the first hours of her loss.This day we will welcome a quiet stay at home and do nothing day. We will swim and allow the lake to enfold us. We will rally, re-group and let the day be what we need it to be.Em says she will read a lot. I will straighten up, clean out my fridge, hang out my sixty three diapers so to speak which really just means ,I will do what needs to be done.