A Strange Week

This has been one strange week.

First off, my beloved little "guy" Starlight, guinea pig extraordinaire, had a heart attack and died Monday morning while getting a wound cleaning at the vet. He deserves a full tribute, but I'm not ready to write about him yet. He was by my side from his birth to his death, and he was my greeter in the morning and my snuggler in the evening. He was a good pig, and I miss him terribly.

This event came on the heels of friends staying with us from Saturday evening through Monday morning, as we were snowed in, and they lived over an hour away. It was lovely to have them and gave me an excuse to avoid all of my Christmas tasks. But, strangely enough, those tasks were still there when they left, and since Starlight died within two hours, I felt overwhelmed at the prospect of catching up.

But then I learned about two of my blogger friends who are having hard times with health issues affecting their children, and much as I loved my little piggy, it's nothing compared to a crisis with a child. And that gave me some great perspective. And my thoughts and prayers are with them.

Then my 83-year-old mother decided that she couldn't join us for Christmas. We're all going to a big family celebration and there are to be lots and lots of people who want to see her there. So that was very sad and disappointing. On the other hand, I understand her need to feel secure. She's made the decision that she feels comfortable with, and we all just need to love and support her. And she's selfless enough that she wants C to be with his cousins, aunts and uncles, so we're sticking with the original plan. So, again, I felt a great deal of sorrow.

But then there was this amazing news report of the father and children of the Dominguez family, who were rescued after being missing for two days in frigid weather. And the report showed the mother getting the call that the family was okay. And I burst into tears for joy.

And I guess when all is said and done, this is a season when the cycles of life are brought to mind. We miss our loved ones who are gone, and we feel thankful for those whom we still have.

It's easy to get caught up in shopping and baking and decorating, but we all need to remember that it's only about the people. Really, that's all that matters.