Good Day.

The above photograph from our honeymoon; it is the view we had of the Pantheon every time we walked up the street in Paris to our hotel. This was from our first night in Paris, and the sun seemed to take forever to set, giving the sky the most amazing glow. It isn’t the best photograph, but it has great memories for me. Plus the priest on the cell phone is amusing.

I had such a good day yesterday. One of those days that words can’t even begin to describe. Just … magical, for no special reason. I remember at one point wishing I could just capture it all – take a photograph of it somehow, but a photograph would only capture a moment, and while it might give you a sense of the day, it wouldn’t really convey it as well as it deserves. I get goosebumps and misty-eyed just thinking about it.

Yes, I’m rambling. But I want to be able to look back and remember what a good day it was.

After taking care of some school-related business yesterday, I drove over to Pappasito’s to pick up her favorite salad and headed down to M.D. Anderson to see Deb. Of course, as luck would have it, right as I pulled in to park they took her away for a test. A very important test to make her radioactive to confirm that her heart was doing ok. She was worried about me, but I reminded her that my plan wasn’t to come to “visit” with her, because “visiting” implies that I expected her to entertain me. No, I was coming to stay with her. I had a bag full of knitting, a book, my iPod. I was all good. I parked and went up to her floor to wait for her. I was greeted as I got off the elevator by her nurse, who knew who I was there to see because of the Pappasito’s bag in my hand. I found her room, scrubbed up, put on gloves, and settled in. Man, they have some really cozy chairs in those rooms.

I learned that you can NOT knit with latex gloves on. Especially if you knit Continental style like I do. I added about two rows to my Jaywalker sock and I put it away.

I read a bit of my Outlander book (almost done – I’ve stalled for at least a week now because I don’t want to finish it, it is so good.) I realized that I was hungry, so I went down to the cafeteria. When I returned to her floor, I turned the corner and spotted two small girls sitting on the floor, looking down the hallway. I recognized Zoe, Deb’s daughter, right away. I knew then that the other one must be J.’s daughter – and when I turned the corner, there was J – in person!

Eeeeeeeee!!!

I haven’t seen her in (*counting*) 15 years. 15 years! Too long. Too very long. But it was like it had only been months since the last time I saw her, not years. What a fabulous feeling. Just thinking about it makes me want to squeal.

So we took the girls to the “Park” at the hospital – a nice open space where families can visit. We were all alone, so we let the girls run around. We talked about life, our families, you name it. Awhile after we went down there, Deb came down. Eeeeeeee! It was so fabulous to see her in person after reading her blog for all this time.

We laughed as we discussed how we had read one another’s site for at least a year, and there were many tiara happy hours that she tried to make but didn’t get to attend, all of this while we had known each other long ago but never realized it.

It was magical to see her and Zoe together. Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It was such a blessing for me to get to see J again, and I hope to see her much more now that we have reconnected. Just thinking about it makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

As Deb said, it was like the cancer disappeared for awhile, like the craziness of us sitting in a hospital cafeteria visiting with her ass-kicking cancer drugs right there on the IV cart just didn’t exist.

I hope we have many more moments like that in the years ahead.

J had to leave with the girls to meet her husband for dinner. After they left, Deb & I headed back up to her room and visited. Good times, good times. I’m so glad that I was able to be there yesterday, and I can’t wait to see all of them again soon. I’m lucky to have such good people in my life. And while I’m always thankful for my family, seeing them together made me ponder just how special my life really is; a wonderful son, a fantastic husband, terrific parents and great in-laws. I’m blessed.

Warm fuzzy memories. Look around your life for them, big and small. Hold them close and cherish them.