Thawing out..

It's been cold in Calgary, but the sky is blue and the sun is out.

Gabe and his little niece Abby, stay warm together as they await a new little Johnston.

Sitting on Gabe's enormous chair, gazing out the window at the street outside his little town house,  it could be summer.

But.. if you step out that door without covering up: a jacket, boots, the works, the weather can be heartless.  And.. it can change on a dime.

I am sure it doesn't mean to deceive us: play tricks that lure us out only to make us miserable.. cold:  Surely the weather isn't.. malicious.

But we do need to be ready.. protect ourselves from stuff we can't 'see'.. like the cold.  Sometimes we need that extra layer of protection.  

Jana was a life saver for me when I arrived from the heat of the tropics.  She provided the use of her warm winter jacket while I was here.. Jeri bought me a couple of shirts and a pair of pants to wear..  She had a pair of boots for me too, but they were a bit small.. luckily I had brought some Uggs from Australia: lovely wool lined leather boots that kept my feet toasty warm.

It takes time and a bit of effort to stay warm.  Family and friends can help, but you need to do a lot of the work yourself and of course, you want a good foundation.  If the boots don't fit, you won't be walking far!

Jeri had to drive to the airport to help out her sister.. All she got for her trouble was my everlasting appreciation and love.  I sometimes don't know what I would do without her.. or Jackie.. or John.. or mom and dad or.. or.. Family!  They drive you mad but their love envelopes us, and keeps us warm.  I met up with Jany for a visit..  she was busy and still struggles to walk very far, but she came and talked and ate..

Deb, Trav's mom-in-law,  gave me a home reflexology session.  Nice.

My granddaughters let me hug them.

And friends.. how lucky am I?  Deb and Mary came to Calgary.. just to visit Gabe and I for the weekend.  Royce gave up his Billy Elliott ticket so that I could attend the play with Sherrill instead of him.. How sweet is that?  It was great to get out and experience a bit of cultural entertainment: song and dance.. good for the soul.  Ms. Kymme took me out for dinner in downtown Calgary: explained how the train worked and even gave me ticket to ride.

My feet are warm: I enjoy support from friends and family. I can get out and live my life because I love, and am loved, by so many people.

Gabe got caught off guard here in the cold of March.. I think he has been trying to play outside in the sun without his jacket for too long.  He was getting his warmth from just one source and was burning on one side and freezing everywhere else: But I think he has it figured out now.

He is repaving all those bridges between himself, his family, his friends.  He is getting co-workers on board and looking at opportunities which he wasn't even able to see for so long.

It is springtime in Calgary and, just like his life, Gabe's world is warming up again: gently, evenly.. in more ways than one.

Heck.. he even has new running shoes and is out walking with his feet more solidly connecting with his world again.

Building a new life.. going in new directions, is not going to be easy.   Relationships are not black and white.. damn them anyway!  and life is full of relationships... it is what people are! So..  we all have to lend a hand: be there.. help him up when he stumbles.  The thing is, he's finally ready to help himself, so the rest should be a lot easier.

Sure his wife has left him and has taken the dog: but his current state is just temporary.. life is just deceptively cold. The reality is that the sun is shining it's little heart out and the days are getting longer, and more glorious... There are things in life that, while they can't be replaced, do leave space for other things, really good things, to get in.  

After 8 years Gabe is looking around.

Anybody know where he can get a new dog?