Fun with Family

I'm starting to realize that I just don't have a lot of time to blog. No time to spare at work, two volunteer gigs plus spending as much time as possible with Ellie & the BB fill the days up pretty quickly. Anytime the computer's out while Ellie's around, she wants to be playing with it, so it's tough to get things done when she's awake. And typically, by the time she goes to bed, I'm physically exhausted and ready to collapse on the couch with a book or a crossword puzzle . I have so much admiration for those millions of bloggers out there that can somehow scrounge 15 minutes out of their days to get a new post up on a regular basis. I am entirely okay with not being one of them, though. If something's gotta give, I'm going with less time on the computer.

If you've known me for a while, you know what a departure that is from my past priorities. It's amazing how having Ellie has changed my life. I've lived pretty healthily for years, but now my focus has shifted and I'm a lot more motivated to be active and get outdoors. I'm also eating better - I've never been terribly enthusiastic about fruit, but it's a great snack for Ellie, and good for my weight loss efforts, so I'm actually buying and eating crazy things like fresh strawberries and dried papaya. My quality of life has honestly gone way up. Who the hell knew?

Regardless: part of this change in perspective is thanks to Ellie, and part is thanks to Abigail. Her loss and my subsequent grief do at least make me realize how incredibly lucky I am to have her sister, and to savor each moment I spend with her. I think it's hard to not take our loved ones for granted, unless one of them has died. It's a bitter lesson to have to learn, but at least there is a silver lining that causes one to find more joy in daily life.

My brother was visiting this past weekend, and he passed on something that my dad said (who visited the weekend before last, with my stepmom), with which he agreed: "I don't think any child has ever been more loved than Ellie." It's entirely possible. We are well aware of how remarkably wonderful it is to be around her. And, after all...

What, indeed?