Waiting in the waiting room

Looking at the names on the screen to see when my turn is 

Actually Albert does most of the looking 

While I doodle or read

Uncomfortable thoughts go round and round in my head

What was the result of the CT scan?

Will I have another surprise?

Most likely everything is fine 

But cancer is very unpredictable 

You are never totally out of the woods

Of course, in a normal life things can go wrong too and surprises can be around the corner 

But in my case, the possibilities are higher

When you are healthy you never suspect that an illness will come 

And ignorance is bliss 

But once you’ve had cancer the possibilities of a recurrence bother you 

And when illness returns, it’s a major thing

You can’t fix it that easily 

So, these are the things that go round and round in my head as I wait and wait for my name on the blue screen 

March 17, 2025

Do you sometimes wonder why

Our heads are in our phones so much?

I think it’s because our phones connect us to the world at large

We can write a friend who lives across the country

We can read the news, local and international 

We can check our bank account

We can write a poem in the waiting room and share it with our friends

The amount of communication open to us and the speed is mind boggling

Too much information sometimes?

Too many dog and cat videos?

Too influenced by influencers? 

Yes, there are those things too

Although dog videos are so cute 

We live in a world of instant communication 

We can plan events in a group on WhatsApp and Messenger 

We can find friends we haven’t seen for years

We can travel to many countries without going anywhere

We can have all our questions answered

We can solve our problems with YouTube videos

And I haven’t mentioned AI yet

What did we used to do without the internet? 

March 16th 2025

We are carrying our winter load

Heavy down or wool coats, thin or thick ones

Clunky boots with salt stains 

Some newer, some older

Colorful Scarves and mittens, and hats for colder days

It takes forever to get ready to leave the house

I think fondly of the summer time

When I can just put my sandals on and head out into the glorious sunshine

Life is a cycle of ups and downs 

And when in the down cycle 

I can still find things to be thankful for

My coffee, my notebook and pen 

And my wondering thoughts 

Feb 12, 2025

We are carrying our winter load

Heavy down or wool coats, thin or thick ones

Clunky boots with salt stains 

Some newer, some older

Colorful Scarves and mittens, and hats for colder days

It takes forever to get ready to leave the house

I think fondly of the summer time

When I can just put my sandals on and head out into the glorious sunshine

Life is a cycle of ups and downs 

And when in the down cycle 

I can still find things to be thankful for

My coffee, my notebook and pen 

And my wondering thoughts 

Feb 12, 2025

Continue reading →

At the hospital cafeteria 

Here, each person has a story

Someone is about to have an operation

Her surgeon is drinking a large coffee to be ready 

Someone has just been diagnosed with cancer

The shock has not settled yet

Her cup of coffee and pastry don’t bring her joy

Someone is visiting the gynaecology ward

First baby, so exciting, so much unknown

There are hospital workers in their uniforms having an early lunch 

Is it difficult to be around sick people all the time?

Or maybe their point of view is

They can help someone who is not feeling well

The lady at the coffeeshop is always upbeat

Moving fast to get through the orders

A couple of people are on wheelchairs 

It must be so difficult to not have the ability to walk

I see a lady wearing a headscarf 

And a man wearing a kippah 

I saw the prayer room yesterday and it was lovely 

I hear French, English and other languages

This is the microcosm of our society

February 12, 2025

Who says our body has to be in perfect health

To enjoy life and live a life of service?

Bodily health is important

But, a decrease in health as we age is normal

Does that mean I can’t do my belly laugh?

Does that mean I can’t enjoy the beauty of art?

Does that mean I can’t be of service to others?

I can do all of that because my spirit is still healthy

And going strong

It’s my attitude that’s important

My optimism

My gratitude

My enthusiasm

All qualities of my spirit

And if my body’s health is less that’s perfect

So be it!

Feb. 21st, 2025

It’s cold and cloudy Saturday morning

And I’m at the mall doing Lida things

Which happens to be nothing today

Got my coffee beside me

All the tables were taken

And my notebook on my lap

Yes, I still write in notebooks from time to time

I’m reflecting on life

No matter what serious situation you are in

Someone else is dealing with worse

We don’t walk with our problems stuck on our backs

So nobody knows

I see a small child in a stroller 

The childhood of our children is done

They are now adults, living their own lives

Sometime in the future grandchildren will come

That will be the beginning of a new era

Wow, that is a huge bun on top of that girl’s head

Standing in the coffee line

It looks like a nest sitting on her head

Must be heavy, I think to myself

And these are things we do for beauty

And I’m guilty of that too

Thank you for sharing my doing nothing time with me 

I find it very therapeutic

23 Nov 2024