Second honeymoon

This is not really a second honeymoon, but where there isn't the quality time together that Marilyn and I would want, there certainly is the quantity, and some quality inherent in just that. There surely is a lot of time to focus on things that we want to. Strolls along Lake Union, though, are not the same as along Lake Quinault! Even in the rain!

So what to focus on? One obvious thing is appreciation, again. You can't do this transplant on your own, they won't even let you, and this amount of care is not like running an errand. It completely alters your life, at least temporarily. I'm so thankful for her care that I can pretty much keep in mind that she cares about me, which is awesome in itself.

What else? Call me slow as a rain forest banana slug, but the other thing to focus on is my feelings for Marilyn. I feel as if I've thrown off all these layers of rather damp moss to rediscover that it's really not hard to respond when someone lets you know she cares about you. And that creates such a great feeling that I don't want to forget that again.

And yet we're both so independent! Marilyn had a great career and was excellent in instructional design. I know, I experienced some of her work before I knew her. Her classes make sense, cover what they're supposed to, and make you learn the material, painlessly. And along with my career, I'm sure I would have worked with children, I was already doing that, being a foster parent to 2 teen-aged boys at the time we met. But I wouldn't have met Gene without Marilyn's help, so I also appreciate her very much for that opportunity.

That's the hardest thing, not being there for Gene. It was nice that Marilyn was able to visit Bellingham one day this week and spend some time with him. Every time I held that "happy baby", which was as much as I could, I felt so fulfilled that nothing else much mattered. But on the positive side, he is learning things, such as being independent, and that he is so loved, even from afar.