Today I happened to look out the upstairs window and I saw Tanja moving the bins out to the curb for trash day tomorrow. Then, moments later, I came downstairs and she was at the dining room table balancing the checkbook. It felt as if there were two of her working away at keeping the ship on course. In normal times, of course, it feels like there are three of her, sometimes, disturbingly, four, but this is a step in the right direction.

Tanja had a post-operative appointment with her general practitioner–well, with a general practitioner. Tanja’s doc, and mine, the indomitable Dr. Johnson, up and left to pursue other projects and we had not settled on a new doc before the accident, so Legacy just paired us with someone.

This someone turned out to be a man of maybe 50 years with an immediately appealing demeanor. He sat down opposite Tanja and kind of peered at her curiously and kindly.

“Do you know how many cord syndrome patients I have seen besides you,” he said.

“Not many?” Tanja guessed.

“One,” he replied. “When I was on my neuro rotation in, uhm, ’89. You’re doing quite a bit better than he was, I have to say. But my point is, I’m not going to add a lot of expertise.”

But they chatted a bit and talked about healing and fatigue and spirits and the potential of emotions that are pushed to off to come rushing back in. The whole conversation was so warm and human and Tanja had such a smile on her face.

So energy was high today and, not coincidentally, so were spirits. The whole family is feeling it–well, except for one normally stalwart member, who apparently grew tired of toiling 24/7 with never so much as a thank you. Yes, the refrigerator has gone on strike, joining the dishwasher on the disabled list. And, while one can was dishes by hand, I do not know that any amount of effort on my part is going to keep the milk cold. So this one hurts.

But the loss is just another opportunity to find gratitude in all we have. Like friends who bring us fresh and delicious food every evening. It is soooo appreciated.