Stress? What's that?

Ah, the scent of December: woodsmoke, mist, incense cedar, desperation, despair, depression.

Tess is in a bad way right now. She just had her 31st birthday, she has filed for legal separation from her husband, most of her family is dead or far away, so many of her patients are in failing health and dying--she is so sad and lonely, it breaks me heart. I wish she and Tamar were talking. But they are not, so I'm trying to talk her through it from far away, when what she really needs is her big sister to just hold her and rock her, stroke her hair, and tell her everything will be ok. She's feeling so grim that she's not even interested in the trip to Orlando FL with the children that she is supposed to be leaving for on Saturday. I've told her that she needs the change in scenery and weather, that she should go, eve if she doesn't want to right now--she's been looking forward to it for months.

Grandfather is not well. I am flying out to Tulsa just before midnight on Tuesday the 21st, returning home Sunday the 26th. Aunt Marcia says that he's fading, and when the elderly start asking for people it is best to listen. When I got that call about Grandmother in October 2000, I asked Tess if she thought Grandmother would make it to the weekend, since it was quater end at work and it was really hard to get away. Tess said yes, but she was wrong. Grandmother died on Thursday. Ah well.

So, Marcia has systemic lupus, Tamar has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Tess is clinically depressed, Granddad is waiting for another stroke to take him down, my uncle needs major surgery, and me, well, I'm busy as hell with work, and a very nice man says he's in love with me.

Stress? What's that? Tomorrow I'm seeing my therapist in the afternoon...lets see if she commits me or not.