Coffee in Florida Tastes the Same

If we were having coffee I’d (again) apologize for the gaping hole between our visits. Life has been…busy. It has been hectic in both good and bad ways.

If we were having coffee I’d first talk about how relieved, and absolutely terrified, I am that the twins are now high school graduates. It was a close call for Baby B, who struggled through his senior year with mental illness and trying to deal with feelings he wasn’t quite sure what to do with. In the end, though, he took care of his business and graduated.

The boys are both planning the next steps in their lives and the most uncomfortable part of this whole process for me is no longer being in control. They are both intelligent young men, but inexperienced. They will need to learn from their own mistakes and no amount of “I’ve been in your shoes” from me will teach them life-lessons like the consequences of mistakes made. I’ve stepped back, told them both to please, please, PLEASE let me know if they need help, and figuratively chewed every nail from my finger tips.

They both also have their licenses now, and there have been some close calls.

If we were having coffee I’d definitely have to update you on my mother’s health, which spiralled out of control for several months, culminating with a late-nate ER visit in which she had to slowly be brought back from a diabetic coma. I spent the entire night by her side wondering if the end was neigh. I watched as a team of nurses slowly, but diligently worked to stabilize her blood sugar and raise her body temperature from 93 back to its normal range. I spent an insane amount of time on the phone the next week talking with social workers to find a rehab facility for her to recover in while the hospital re-evaluated her medications. I found her a new PCP and she has been staying with me while she gets back into he habit of caring for herself and waits for for an apartment to become available at the senior living center just down the road from me. She is doing MUCH better now. Her latest labs were fantastic. She still has some physical recovery to do, and in the past two weeks began physical therapy.

If we were having coffee I’d tell you how I can’t believe my little C is another year older and ready to move on to 2nd grade. His 1st grade teacher was amazing and I could never thank her enough for her patience and strength in guiding C over the 180 school days in which she was his teacher. He has come a looooooooooong way behaviorally in the year-and-a-half since I enrolled him in this school and I couldn’t be happier with that decision.

If we were having coffee I’d definitely tell you about the amazing woman who has stood by me during all the hardships I’ve endured the last few months without offering anything but support and love. She has been amazing and fits me like a puzzle piece I didn’t realize I was missing. And she’d want me to tell you she’s awesome, because she’s somewhat delusional. It’s kinda why we get along so well.

If we were having coffee I’d obviously have to mention that I’m writing this on my phone in Palm Beach, Florida. This is the first real vacation I’ve taken in over 10 years, and, even though I didn’t feel like I should “abandon” my mother or my job, it has been sorely needed. Between being a father, a son, a boyfriend, and an IT support specialist working way more than 40 hours a week, I haven’t taken much time for myself and the respite has been nice.

If we were having coffee you’d probably have noticed on your own, and when asked I would reply, “I’ve lost 60 pounds.” I weigh less now than I did when I graduated high school. While I still have some ways to go, I’m extremely happy with the progress I’ve made, even though I’ve had to purchase two new wardrobes in the past 6 months.

It’s your turn!

How has everyone been? How’s your coffee? Is anyone still here? Is this thing still on? Tell me all the things.