Today is ANZAC Day, and a very welcome public holiday, even if the reason for the day off is much more sombre. But then, we’ve had a pretty sombre few weeks, or in fact, a pretty sombre year so far, to be accurate.
Whilst still dealing with the aftermath of my mother’s death, a week or two after tumbling down the stairs and breaking my ankle we were woken in the middle of the night to find my father-in-law had had a heart attack. It took over a week to get him stabilised and safely home, and then just a few days later, there was another early morning call, and he was back in hospital again, with another suspected attack.
So it has been a stressful few weeks, particularly for my husband, as he’s had a particularly busy period on his current contract, has had to care for his mother and drive her to and from the hospital (a three-four hour round trip every day after work), and then on top of that has had to look after me. With little time (and less inclination) to cook, he’s become particularly innovative at finding different forms of takeaways for meals, including roast meals and of course the ubiquitous Chinese, both providing lots of vegetables to ward off the scurvy that was threatening if we lived on pizza or fish and chips.
Brothers are flying in, coming back into the country to see their parents over the next week or two, giving him some welcome relief. We are all hoping, of course, that the crises are over for the time being, but life isn’t always that cooperative, is it?
When it rains it pours! Ugh! Thinking about you and your family right now.
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I just read your ANZAC DAY post from 2012. So beautifully written.
Hubby is in the Sydney march today supporting the British regiment with the Maltese Band he plays with.
Mum told me only this week that she found my grandfather’s written accounts from Gallipoli/Western Front, in my recently deceased uncle’s paperwork. I’m steeling myself to read them.
My gosh Mali, you and your husband can’t catch a break! I can imagine the stress levels are quite high, and your poor hubby trying to juggle it all, on top of working as well.
I hope you’ve turned the corner with your injury and your FIL’s health and that it all improves from here.
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I got up an hour ago and have already thought about ANZAC day, as it appears on my calendar, and a friend posted about being in NZ last year on this day. And sombre times, yes—in the last week my sister-in-law’s mother has died, my aunt has been hospitalized and is very ill, and a dear friend has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It feels relentless of late. Thinking of you and your husband and his family.
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What a cycle you all are having. I’m sorry to read about your mom. My thoughts are with your family as you all navigate the health crisis.
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Thinking good things for you. I’m so sorry about your mom, it is so difficult to go on afterwards.
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❤ so sorry that there has been so many tough things at once. I hope that things smooth out for you all soon and that life calms.
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Ugh, when it rains it pours. I am so sorry. 😦 You are overdue for some good things to happen, Mali!
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Crap — I am so sorry that everything is happening all at once, and that all of it is so stressful inandof itself.
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You know…I’m not a big fan of 2016. Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. I hope he’s soon on the mend.
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I’ve long heard that 16 is an unlucky number. I never put much stock in that, but then I remember 2013 was a difficult year too. I hope the tide has turned for you–in a much better direction.
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I thought of you when I saw in my calendar that it was ANZAC day.
I’m sorry to hear about this current run of hard events. One year, while my sister’s husband was one hospital with full paralysis, my visiting MIL ended up in another with severe flu, and my dad in yet another with a heart attack. It was insane. So insane we had to laugh because, really??
May your FIL heal up and your husband/MIL eat well. And NO MORE CRISES!
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I’m so sorry you’re in one of those periods in life. I think we all have had them. I went through one in 1987. In 2005 I lost my father and cat days apart and my uncle 2 1/2 months later and had to handle every detail surrounding all three myself (with help from my husband)–burials, packing stuff up, storage units,homes,cars… as my sister freaked out and did nothing and my uncle had no spouse or children–all while going back and forth from New York to Florida & while I was going through fertility treatments. Hope your dark cloud has moved on. Happily, eventually, they all always do… xo
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Oh, Mali, what a particularly difficult series of events for you and your husband to have to deal with… I’m thinking of you, and sending you good thoughts and lots of hugs.
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