Best Laid Plans...

Today was supposed to be a very busy day. I am leading a Moms In Touch group on Wednesday mornings, and today was going to be my first day to lead it by myself. Then I was going to take my friends (Maria and Laura) to their doctors' appointments, and pick up Zaya from school.

But...at 5:30 Mim woke up sick. Very sick. So, I'm playing nurse instead. There were a lot of phone calls to make this morning, but I think we've finally gotten everything settled. I was just preparing for a long stressful morning when Laura came to my door to make sure I knew what to do for a sick kid. She bustled in and started telling me what things would work best, what to avoid, and how to make rice water the way her Mama did in Mexico.

I loved it. Really, I'm not being sarcastic. If there's one thing I've learned as I've grown older, it's that I need a lot of support in life. I use to imagine that I was an independent spirit, but I'm just not. Not at all.

Laura told me what to get in my cabinets and started cooking rice water for Mim. She told me what kind of juice I needed also, and the best place to find it. When the rice water was done, she went back to her house to get me some ice because she discovered we didn't have any.

When she returned, she had a quesadilla and a burrito for me and told me to sit down and eat. She also had some Posole (a mexican soup) frozen, and fresh chopped vegetables to eat with it. That was for my husband for supper, so I wouldn't have to cook for him. (I try to explain that he won't be upset about things like not having a five course dinner, but they don't really get it.)

We occasionally have our culture clashes, but I wouldn't trade my friendships with those two ladies for anything. We are learning each others' languages and customs, and how true sisterly love can overcome a lot of boundaries.

Mim is still sick, but I don't feel quite so alone with the struggle anymore.