June 2022 News from Joy

Jun 29, 2022

(From June 2022 newsletter)

On the road again. I have been traveling for much of June.

My husband Tim and I drove to Albuquerque to visit his siblings. We drove from there to Denver to spend time with our son, his fiancee, and her parents. We are looking forward to their wedding next summer.

This past weekend, we drove to St. Louis to meet our future son-in-law's family. I am so grateful we had such quality time getting to know them before the September wedding.  

With all this travel that was already on our schedule, it has been difficult being far away from my parents, as they are going through considerable health challenges. In addition, they both came down with Covid. My mom has been in and out of the hospital and rehab facilities. It hasn't been easy. My mom, a nurse for 53 years, is learning for the first time what it is to be a patient. 

I have been living the Serenity Prayer. Accepting what I cannot change, and doing what I can in adaptive ways. 

I am grateful for the amount of inner work I have done over the years to heal my hurts and unmet needs from childhood. My parents' current vulnerability allowed for the deepest levels of connection that I have had with them. While with them recently, and during our daily phone calls, the shift is palpable. I no longer suffer from an unmet longing for connection. I am heading back to Florida to help my parents the first week of July.