I Finally "Kicked In"

OK I got busy at least a little. Not like supercharged or anything, but I did get a few things accomplished today. Did some laundry, did some straightening, did some cooking, and cleaning, and sorting and stacking...and napping. Yep! Napping! Jazz and I took a little cat nap this afternoon. Remember? I had been up with the smoke detector? Does that justify an afternoon nap??

Earlier today I even went to the jewelry store. I got a ring guard so I could wear Kenny's Black Hill's Gold wedding band. We bought it a few years back when we took that cool trip out to Colorado and South Dakota. He always loved Black Hills jewelry and so do I. I'm glad we got to do that cross country trip with Randy and his friend Chris. It was awesome. We met Kenny's Mom and his Uncle Bob in Colorado then we all drove up to South Dakota. While there, we got to see his cousins and his Uncle Dick in Rapid City. Before leaving South Dakota, we stopped at the Black Hills and bought us each a ring. Now I'm wearing Kenny's on my thumb and it makes me smile, just thinking about that great vacation.

I also took my diamond engagement ring in to have it resized to fit my right hand. And they are going to solder a new piece into the band because it has worn so thin from thirty-one years on my finger. I'm hoping of course the repair will make it last another thirty-one...

The jeweler is also going to put a new pearl in the antique ring I bought right after Kenny died. One of the pearls fell out a few months ago so I haven't been able to wear it. It's a pretty estate ring with seed pearls and beautiful steel blue saffires. I bought it with Lisa on our way to Mom and Dad's in Pennsylvania after spending the day in Annapolis planning Kenny's memorial service. I was still in shock...pretty much on auto pilot. Kenny had just died two days before...

On a whim, Lisa and I stopped at a little antique store in Westminster, Maryland. And we proceeded to have one of many unusual experiences of the week. We struck up a conversation with the antique dealer and told him we were on our way back from planning my husband's funeral. He began sharing with us stories about his life and the heart wrenching lessons he had learned. He literally put his hand on my arm, right then and there, and prayed for my healing.

Throughout the conversation, Lisa and I kept looking at each other strangely because it felt surreal, like we had stepped into another time and dimension. I can't remember all the details of it now, but it turns out that he knew the antique dealer across the street from Lisa's shop back in Lucketts, VA. He also has a sister who lives in Leesburg. Coincidentally, her house is only a few blocks from Lisa's and she owns a pool company. "It's called Jazzy Pools," he said. Lisa and I both nearly dropped to our knees. You might recall that the day before Kenny died, he had told me life would be Jazzy from now on. This was to be the first of many "Jazzy" life experiences.

The antique dealer had held the shop open past closing time for us or we might never have made this connection with that very special gentleman. He told us he was headed to a friend's house for dinner, but he was in no hurry to rush us along. Clearly he felt the gift of his time to us grief-filled sisters was far more important. As we left the store and headed across the gravel lot, he pulled down the garage door and just as it slammed to the ground he shouted to us, "Nothing happens quite by chance my dear!" It was right out of the closing scene of a movie...

Yes, that was a unique moment in time, much like many I've had since Kenny died. And that estate ring purchase was one of my great "jewelry therapy escapades." I've also tried decorating therapy, dance therapy, antique and clothes shopping therapy. Don't laugh! Retail therapy is the best so far. It really works and makes more sense to me than paying a grief counselor. At least with retail therapy you walk away with something to show for your money. And I'm pretty sure it's a whole lot more economical than counseling!!

Perhaps some day I'll write a book on my different therapeutic solutions for handling grief. In the mean time, I'll try to set out on making a few more innovative discoveries. Who knows...how about bungee jumping therapy, sky diving therapy, motorcycle racing therapy or scuba diving therapy?! LOL! What do you think of those ideas?