The energy in my home reached fever pitch around 6:30pm. Naomi and Tiny stayed in the blue room Sunday night. Jon O slept on the couch(happily) so that he could film the kids and I in the morning. I awoke at 5:45 am to find one kid in the shower and two more waiting for a turn. My dog was pacing waiting for food and a walk. The walk was likely to come first since it is my daughter’s job to feed her and she was still snoring away. Kelly and the baby slept while I made an attempt to get through online news. BBC news lets you pick each continent you want to read about. The Americas. Middle East. Europe. I tried to do a quick look at my world. Nothing cancer related for a minute. Find out what is happening around the globe. Interesting and depressing.
Clay snoozed until 7:30am. We did the morning routine of food and a movie. Naomi brewed me some mint tea. Tamara brought it over assuring me of its curative powers. I hate mint. But this stuff I love. And it works for hours. It takes away the nasty chemical taste in my mouth and calms my stomach. Eventually, everyone left at home was awake. And Erin arrived to watch Clay. 5 adults 2 kids. Nay, Jon and I slipped out the door.We went to Trader Joe’s and the bank. We came back and found Erin whispering about how Clay put himself down for a nap by climbing onto my bed. Soon after we came home Gina arrived. She planned on staying for a short visit but was at our home until 7pm. As was Erin. Jon O was over for hours. Eileen brought my middle three home from school. At times there were 15 people in my home. Everyone was busy helping. People buzzed around preparing things.
I recorded all my children’s individual medical history’s. Gina and I wrote about my family history as well. All those questions that only your mom can answer. What hospital was I born in? Is there a family history of mental illness? I felt accomplishment in finishing all six kids information. I hope that this is all a bit of an over zealous move on my part. But in case it isn’t it feels good to have done it. Later,I made dinner for 14 while my baby had three adults and an older sibling or two to entertain him. Jesse helped. Gina helped. Homemade pizzas hot and fresh at 5:15pm. Nay was on a short retreat to the coffee shop to do some emailing in peace. But there was still a house full of people here doing there thing. After I took my second dose of X(eloda)…X sounds cooler….anyway…I felt sick. Then sicker. My stomach twisted. I burped chemo flavor. I sunk into my permanent residence on the couch. I forced myself up to deliver cookies around 7pm. And I fell asleep with Clay around 7:45pm.
I woke up at 9:50pm to find no dishes and only two children awake. Most of the chores got done. The dog is sleeping and I am typing away while Clay snores softly a room away. Naomi is getting tattooed by my husband. A freebie. Considering all the work she does around here it seems like she paid for it many times over. Her daughter is the last child awake in the house. She is watching a movie on her mini player upstairs.
I am not put off or uncomfortable anymore with the sheer number of people involved in caring for my family. At first when I became sick I resisted all the company. I even was annoyed by it. Now it seems to phase none of us. Not even Kelly. We all seem to understand that it takes a lot of people to do all the work involved in taking care of 6 kids and a sick mom. I guess I used work my tail off. I still hound kids about homework, teeth brushing, and applying lotion to eczema. I still blow dry Bailey’s hair. I still pick up random junk from bedroom floors. But there is other stuff that becomes some one else’s responsibility. It is scary and comforting to let others do so much. Sometimes it feels like people are just hanging around the house but then I realize they are tidying up, doing dishes, changing diapers, and folding laundry. While I maintain permanent residence in my sick spot. The corner of a green couch in our living room. I sit there until I feel better. Then I emerge and do my house cleaning or cooking. Or I sit there and play with Clay.
Whichever, healthy or well, there are usually 2 to 4 other adults in my home nearly all the time. Many of you are thinking that you would hate that. Maybe you think I am fortunate, for truly I am. I ask myself a lot how it is that all these people ended up here. I believe that God is truly loving me through all of you. Every single act of kindness, selflessness, and generosity. It all reminds me how God loves His children. My house is full. My burden is light. I pray for healing and acceptance. Maybe I will get more time. Maybe the cancer will eat me up like an apple, as Bailey once described it. In either case, I have abundant peace about how my family will survive. Because of people like you and everyone who helps. And who cares for us. Maybe it will not be as it is now but I think no matter what it will be a good life. I think that that is a great comfort. I sometimes feel like watching all these people take care of us is like an sneak preview of a movie. It is God showing me that it will all work out. That is an amazing source of peace for me.
