Over this past week, I’ve learned a couple of things.
First of all, as our loyal readers know, I’m ambidextrous because
my very first teacher was old-school about handiness. Since I usually write
with my right hand, I’ve always assumed few people would notice I’m predominately
left-handed. I’ve certainly never given it a second thought.
Until this week.
By the weird circumstance of just being me, I occasionally
have some injury/ailment that baffles me. These issues are usually fleeting
enough that trying to present them to a doctor is futile because once I decide
to see the doctor, they’ll disappear on their own.
This week my injury has been something affecting my left
thumb. For the most part, I can use it, but some motions are uncomfortable. You
know, stuff like the pincher move. Even typing has proved problematic if I
forget and use that thumb.
Since it hurts, I’ve been attempting to not use that hand,
or at least my thumb.
Would you all now kindly attempt to strap yourself into a
car without using your left thumb? How about picking up your laptop or full
water bottle that is positioned on your left to the point you cannot reach them
with your right hand without twisting your body or moving?
Yeah. It’s been an interesting week.
Then there is discovering all the things I automatically do
with my left hand, even though I could do them right-handed. Like flipping the
top of my water bottle open. I’ve had to remind myself several times this week
not to do that.
So despite the fact I already knew I used both hands, I’ve
been learning this week just how often and for how many things I use my left
hand.
Now on to the second thing I’ve learned.
For background, on February 8th the oldest of my
husband’s brothers passed away. Please note, my husband’s siblings are all younger
than he is, his brothers by several years.
This necessitated his traveling to Oregon to attend the
funeral. Plus, he gets to spend time with our grandbabies. Before he left he’d asked
me about how I’d handle him being gone. Basically, he wanted to know If I’d
miss him.
It’s not like we haven’t been apart from time to time in our
marriage. I mean he was in the navy, and he did go out to sea, while I was
pregnant. And that’s not the only time we’ve ended up spending a month or more
apart for whatever reason.
I am also perfectly capable of driving myself where I need
to go and dealing with daily household stuff without him. (Okay, so yeah, I do
rely on our kids a great deal, but they can do things I can’t. Like reaching
the top shelf or the bottom of the washer.)
And yes, I don’t care for sleeping in this bed alone, but I’ve
managed before, so I can do it again.
And things around here were
just fine, almost normal.
Until I had to be the designated driver for Royce (who still
doesn’t have a license). Until I had to be the one getting up in the middle of
the night to let Mabel, and sometimes Xavier, out while also annoying Melinda
for all the times I slept right through them asking to be let out because they
never once came to my side and pawed at me like they do Jerry. (I do understand
Melinda’s annoyance since those were the times Mabel relieved herself inside
instead.) Until I was the only one who could get up every 12 hours at seven on
the dot to feed fur babies. Until I had to argue with my sons to go feed Jerry’s
dog because I’m not going there.
I mean he’s a big loveable fur ball and I know he’d never
intentionally hurt me, but he can look me in the eye while standing on all four
paws. I do not need the big oaf jumping on me in his excitement. And I think at
least half his excitement is because he wants to play. So yeah, I’m not going there.
Originally Jerry wasn’t sure how long he’d stay in Oregon because
he wanted to see his other siblings, and our daughter, while he was there.
Totally understandable, but I was getting frustrated enough to think about
asking him to come home as soon as possible.
Luckily, I didn’t have to.
He decided on his own it was time to come home. Now I just
have to convince someone else to deal with airport traffic and pick him up,
this afternoon!
Smile. Make the day a brighter day.
