The New Normal

​I’m used to time running by quickly as I age, but this summer galloped away from me! We had our vacation early in June and when we came home I was looking forward to days swimming leisurely in the pool, taking long walks and short drives with my husband to discover new places. I did none of these.
 
First of all, I’m still recovering from my hip injury, so long walks and or hiking was out of the question. The pool was usually surrounded by everyone’s grandchildren, so I gave that up as well.
 
It seemed as though after Monday came Friday and then Monday. We were constantly asking each other, “What day is today?” We forgot appointments or arrived for them on the wrong day. Worst was leaving two friends sitting, waiting, for a lunch that I had orchestrated that I had thought was scheduled for another day. What a horrible feeling! And now, It’s Labor Day where summer officially ends but the hot weather really starts. 

​Do you remember that feeling when you were in school and the clock would say it was 2:45? You would make yourself wait for what seemed like an hour and when you would look back up it said 2:46. Time crept by. Was that just youth? I think so. I know in my brain that time is time but as we age, one day is Labor Day and the next day we are preparing for Thanksgiving! Even though time is more precious to us now, we can’t seem to capture it in a bottle. It slithers and slides out our hands.
 
I accept it, promise to honor dates more carefully, go with the flow. What else can we do? There are many doctors’ appointments that keep us on time and those have to be observed. I’m sitting in a waiting room to give a blood sample while my husband is having a colonoscopy in another part of the hospital. Is this the new togetherness? Whatever, when he is done we will have breakfast and go about our day.
 
For sure it’s the new normal. Okay, this is how it’s supposed to be at this point. We can do it!
 
We have plenty of time!