Puppy Love

I can't remember the last time Jason and I both were home for dinner and bedtime. I'm sure there are many stay at home moms and dads who can also say that, but in our normal life we are very spoiled in that both Jason and I have jobs that allow us to be home by the late afternoon. We almost always share that evening play, dinner, bath, story, and bedtime together. I've missed that over these past nearly six months.

But afternoon Jason and I extended our normal sixty-second passing of the baton and the four of us met for ice cream downtown. It was a hot, sunny, beautiful day, and chasing the kids around and hearing their delicious contagious laughter, I could almost forget our troubles. Almost. There is always the reality that a piece of our family is missing, and always a sick and unnatural feeling that she should be there. But that aside, it was a really wonderful hour or so.

Jay went on to the hospital and the kids and I had a great evening together doing a play date and dinner with friends. The weather stayed beautiful -- one of those nights where the air held onto its warmth even after the sun went down. We ran around and played in our friend's backyard. Everyone was happy; we made it through another day.

Earlier at the hospital the stars aligned and both of my sisters came for a visit at the same time. Cora was very excited. After a rather uneventful physical therapy session we had a treat. Kai, the pet therapy dog, came to visit Cora. It was awesome. Mostly Kai just stayed calmly near Cora and looked at her. At one point we helped Cora feel the velvety texture of Kai's ears. Just to see her little hand on something so completely outside the hospital experience...a soft puppy ear. To be honest, Cora didn't get too fired up about it, but my sisters were basically bawling the entire time.

I am one of those very lucky people who has the very best of what siblings can be. All the love, all the support, all the laughter, all the inside jokes, and all the shared experience of a life lived side-by-side. When we were little we bickered like the best of them. But one day when I was twelve and they were fourteen, our dad passed away. It was as clear as if someone had drawn a line in the sand and said: from this day forward, no screwing around. Stick together and that's that. And we always have, through enough stuff to fill a somewhat thick novel. But no matter what chaos has come our way, rule number one has always been adhered to. Walking through this experience with Cora has been no different. There have been more tears, but there has been no less laughter.

I'm so grateful my kids have each other, and I will spend my life trying to form them into a little three-member mafia, just like the one I am so blessed to be a member of.