STRESS

The electricity in the air is from more than just the recent round of thunderstorms. My home is filled with anxiety and tension. Everyone is walking around as if they are preparing for verbal battle. We are all at our emotional limit and the air is thick with the feeling from all of us. This comes on the heels of another emotional milestone for me. Yesterday was the second anniversary of my Mom's passing.

Each of us here is dealing with our own bucket of stress, and all of us for different reasons, but last week's vigil at my Aunt Nina's bedside, and my children's week of being mainly on their own has not helped. Still hanging out there is Aly's impending surgery. The date will be determined tomorrow at our doctor's appointment for her. There is the end of the school year with the testing and projects and of course Avery has drivers training, which seemed like a good idea when I scheduled it.

Add to all of this that after months of waiting Mark finally got the job offer he was hoping for since his company is moving and we decided that we just cannot make the move. Part of our reasoning was about Aunt Nina, and now that piece has changed. Although Aunt Nina is no longer with us, her home still is and it is FULL. My uncle's clothes and my cousin's clothes are still there. Every card, gift bag and box she ever received is still there as well as family heirlooms and family crap that have to be cataloged. This morning I will meet with her attorney and find out how to proceed. She has left everything to her two Grandsons' and my job will be to sell and divide and guard everything until they are each 25 years old.

Stress seems like a mild word at this point. I can only hope that my meeting with the attorney will relieve some stress, but I highly doubt it. There are still the details of my own home that are in disarray. I need to grocery shop and do laundry and clean. Life is not slowing down, there is no time to lament the situation, I have to just jump in and swim in this giant STRESS pool!