The Accidental(?) “Re”

As we neared the end of last year, my daughter-in-law kindly asked me if I would like her to notify our children that it was time for them to respond to their annual profiles for the family holiday newsletter. The newsletter is a time-honored Steinert-Threlkeld tradition, started by my late husband Tom at the birth of our first son, Zachary, 36 years ago. I will not be the one to end that tradition.

Life threw us a curve near the end of last year, and Zach’s wife, Jessica, once again rose to the occasion of the newsletter. This blog was prompted by an impromptu question Jessica added to everyone’s profile: Describe the past year (2022) in three words.

It’s not as easy as it sounds. My first thought was simply, “Let it be.” Then came “Farewell, good riddance.” But I thought that was rather negative, considering the year did include the birth of our precious granddaughter.

After some thought, I came up with what I thought was a rather clever and appropriate summary of the life Allan and I led in 2022: Replace, remodel, and rehab. It was true and alliterative. I liked the sound of it.

First, replace. That would be my right hip, replaced in January. Now I have a matching pair of titaniums, since my left hip was replaced in 2017.

Second, remodel. That refers to the six months we spent adding a very large screened-in porch at the back of the house. This outdoor living/dining space includes recessed lighting, ceiling fans, a vaulted ceiling, a gas fireplace, and a smart TV. Despite the scheduling delays and cost overruns, we are truly enjoying this beautiful addition to the house. Maybe one day we will see an ROI; maybe we will not.

Third, rehab. This third aspect of the year is one we did not expect. The day before Thanksgiving, Allan told me he had troubled controlling the gait of his left leg. A quick visit to Roper Express revealed a sky-high blood pressure and a cursory diagnosis of a stroke, which was correct. After two nights in the hospital, Allan was discharged to rehab at home, with in-house OT and PT over the next month. We were fortunate in that he recognized the signs of what was happening; the stroke was caught early; and no lasting damage was expected. Complete recovery was the diagnosis.

So we turn the corner into 2023, full of hope, health, and travel plans. Re-solved, if you will, to have a year free of rehab and remodeling. It is not to be.

Several weeks ago, Allan fell on the hardwood floors of the foyer, only to have fractured his left hip (his side impacted by the stroke). That led to repair surgery (three screws), three nights in the hospital, and a repeat of the in-house OT and PT. Our therapists know us and our dog on a first-name basis (and that is not a claim to fame). Hence, the rehab.

And as I confessed in a blog last year, I am a serial remodeler. More inspired than ever before to remove the protruding garden tub from our master bath, to enlarge the water closet (should we need assistance), and to make the shower larger and more accessible, we are launching a complete remodel of the master bath and closet (which has bugged me for years) the first week of March. It is not a small project, and it is one that will leave us in our bedroom but will displace us from our bathroom for six weeks. Hence, the remodel.

What these experiences have shown me is that life is nothing but one great big “Re-.” We constantly re-do, remake, recycle, renew, repair, recover, redesign, all things in life. There is little that is fresh and new; in short, history, both bad and good, small and large, simply repeats itself, as it has since Adam and Eve.

Of course I made re-solutions for the New Year, that point when we re-solve to do new things or to do old things better so we won’t re-peat our same mistakes. These were my resolutions:

1. To renew my journaling efforts, which is really a gratitude journal. It went by the wayside last year as my anxiety rose with the remodel project. I journaled early in the year until Allan got sick; I hope to start again. Interesting that I set this activity aside when I likely need it the most …
2. To keep a list and short summary of the books I read. My son Zach keeps such a list each year and I always enjoy reading his list. So far, I have kept this resolution and am proud to say that I have finished 3 books, about 1,200 pages. You can read the list at the end of this year.
3. To catalog my completed puzzles. Not done. First puzzle had a missing piece; second puzzle has been ignored since Allan’s hip mishap. I simply have not spent any time upstairs.
4. To continue my health and fitness program, which I believe is now a time-honored part of my life. Unless there is a real interruption in my schedule, my program includes three workouts a week (60 minutes) with my personal trainer and two workouts (60 minutes) at home. So far, so good, except for very unusual weeks that included surgery and other minor interruptions!
5. To travel. Thanks to Allan’s brother and his wife, who will stay with Allan while he continues to recuperate, I will make a trip to California to see the kids and my granddaughter. And, fingers crossed, Allan and I will cruise the Douro River Valley in Portugal and spend three days in Spain in April. It is that prize that helps drive his recovery. No further plans have been made, because I am rather gun-shy at this point to make further travel plans and have to reschedule.

Perhaps I should have realized long ago that life is just one big merry-go-round. We just keep making the same revolutions around the calendar as the earth revolves around the sun.

The important thing to remember is how lucky we are to keep counting those days!