One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach—waiting for a gift from the sea.”
Mom has always loved Anne Morrow Lindbergh and her book Gift from the Sea. Mom's walks along the beach are certainly acts of great patience and faith, joyfully searching for the gifts of the day, be it a special shell, a beautiful sunrise, the patterns in the sand.
Her medical appointments are also exercises of patience and faith - waiting for tests, results, analysis and hoping and praying for the best. Yesterday at mom's chemo appointment, she was able to receive a 50% dose. It seems the neupogen shots were able to bolster her white blood cell counts enough for her to receive the treatment, so she will return for shots again twice this week. Next week will be her week off from chemo.
A few folks have asked about Mom's special shells mentioned in the last posting. "Smoothies" are pieces of shells that have been polished by the sand and surf to a super smooth finish. For Mom, the keepers are the ones that fit perfectly between her thumb and other fingers. "Angel wings" are bits of scallop shells that are reminiscent of wings, and Mom looks for the curve of the shell and the patterns of colors to be just right before declaring it a true "angel wing" for her collection.
During my trip to Flordia, I realized a gift from the sea can come when and how you least expect it. One morning, I went to meet Mom at the beach at sunrise, but I could not find her anywhere. I was getting pretty anxious about where could she be. The surf was dangerously rough - but it seemed crazy to think that she would have gotten literally carried away. I finally reached her by phone - somehow we had just missed each other back at the condo complex and she was on her way over. I sat down on the sand with great relief, starting to appreciate the sunrise with a new frame of mind now that I had "found" Mom. While I was sitting, a woman walked by with her black lab and holding a large beautiful shell. When she said she had just found it close to where we were, I thought to myself it was too bad I had not found that shell for Mom. The woman walked down the beach but then returned a few minutes later and offered me the shell. I said that was too kind but no thank you. She insisted. I thanked her very much and told her that I would give it to my mother. I am glad I got to introduce the woman, whose name is Debra, to Mom the next day. Mom asked if she had ever read Gift from the Sea.
Photo of Mom holding a heart rock
Photo of Mom with the "Gift from the Sea/ Gift from Debra" Shell
Nice photo of Mom and Dad heading out to the St. Patrick's Day party at the condo
For photos, comments and their FL address go to followingdenise.blogspot.com
This is a beautiful entry on so many levels. The picture of DENISE and ED demonstrates their love and joy they are sharing and receiving from their time in FL- ENDLESS SUMMER Thanks for the beautiful updates.
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