Friday, February 5, 2010

Flying Mermaids


It's raining again here in Los Angeles and I've spent the entire day indoors. I took a look at the front page of the paper and read a brief story about Anthem Blue Shield (our insurer) and how they're being investigated for what appear to be outrageous premium increases for independent plans (I'll rest my case with that one, although I can't help feeling smug about all the looloos in this country who think government will somehow come between them and their doctors ); I washed some sheets and folded them, made up the beds and ate four Lemongrass Thai Spring Rolls from the freezer. I watched last Monday's episode of Damages and had a conference call for about an hour for my job.

Did I tell you how well Sophie has been doing? I'm not going to say this with any knock on wood caveats because I'm trying to buck, at least for now, my superstitious southern Italian peasant heritage. The heritage that pounds relentlessly within me, whispering that I shouldn't say anything good because, for sure, bad will follow. I know there are plenty of you out there who know that voice and know that however low in tone, it's insistent and stretches for generations.

I'm living in the moment, at least for this moment. One of the things that Sophie did last night was reach up and try to touch the mermaid that is floating in the air of her bedroom. The mermaid has been swimming there for almost ten years, and I'm not certain Sophie ever noticed it before. If she did, she had never tried to touch it, and despite a  whole lot of growth in height, her reach has never been very functional.

So here's what I'm thinking: her brain, freed of seizures for a week (the big ones) made some kind of connection and -- ZING! -- there was the mermaid, swimming in the air, aching to be touched. So she did.

19 comments:

  1. Sisters. Nothing in this world can break the bond between sisters. Have you thought of that yet? Just saying.

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  2. I once told a neurologist, when he said we needed to think ahead to what Robert would need, that I never thought ahead more than 6 months at a time. He was astounded. But it's very practical isn't it? Sometimes I think people live under the illusion that the future contains certainties . . .

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  3. "there was the mermaid, swimming in the air, aching to be touched. So she did."

    Wow.

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  4. i love that she reached for the mermaid! and i love that sophie's doing so well these days. that's HUGE!!!

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  5. I'm so happy that sweet Sophie is doing well. Hoping and praying that it will last for a long long time and the nasty seizures leave her brain alone and she will be doing lots of reaching.

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  6. Wow. Maybe you should take the mermaid down and let her hang with it for awhile?

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  7. So many beautiful things happen when those awful seizures leave her alone! Just beautiful.

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  8. That's wonderful!
    I understand about the superstitious thing completely, despite Dimitri being seizure free for years (there I said it out loud, sort of) I'm still the same.

    Here's to living in the moment.

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  9. Oh...that is SOOOO wonderful. Makes your heart sing, doesn't it? Ditto for me! BTW...I love the header on your blog.

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  10. Well that just made me happy on every level. You made a picture poem that I see in my mind and made me smile. I hope all continues to go well and that Sophie sees all the beauty you have surrounded her with.

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  11. {{hugs}}

    and I wiped a tear or two

    I will wish and pray for continued peace and moments like this. Today I will think of Flying Mermaids, the angels you give to Sophie.

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  12. Oh, lovely. Yay for dear Sophie and flying mermaids, and wonderful you. Thanks for sharing that, and breaking through your superstitions. That's not easy.
    I love spring rolls and I love Damages, and clean sheets. Sounds like a perfect day Elizabeth.

    My word verification: upsings.

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  13. She reached up for the mermaid? Really? Oh Joy, Joy, Joy!!!

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  14. How wonderful! I'm so happy to hear about Sophie's good week. Nothing better.

    Have been meaning to tell you how much I like your new masthead. Color and form. And I like that you're changing it whenever you feel like it.

    Hope you and Sophie have another good week.

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  15. I love picturing this happening. Sweet Sophie! Thank you for the photo of the mermaid. God bless you and your family.

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  16. It was not coincidence, I'm sure, that she tried to touch the mermaid.

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  17. I don't know much yiddish, but I think they call your soouthern italian peasant thing kinahora. As in don't jinx it.

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