I bounded right out of bed this morning. Made the coffee, prepped this blog entry, brushed my teeth all without really waking up. I’m impressed.

The place where I work is grinding my gears. Everyone is calling in. The people most affected are those who show up. They get to work extra hard and for their efforts they get a “Thank you”. “Thank you” just doesn’t cover it when you’re strung out. Even the best of our faculty is affected. They’re doing the only thing they can under stressful circumstances, they’re taking personal days to recoup. Everything is still getting done. The under staffing is only temporary. Eventually we’ll all get back to a beloved normal. Still, what an ordeal. Morale is low, mine included.

My cancer lady, I don’t think she has long. Yesterday and the day before have been hard for her. When she’s not sleeping, she’s hurting. I do what I can to comfort her. The only way I know I get it right is when she falls asleep again. I gave her one of my books months and months ago. You know, as a sign of affection. In it I signed, “Thank you, Anne, for giving me my humility and my humanity.” That statement rings true and echoes in my thoughts throughout this process. I feel much more humble and human.