Well, that was fast.

We were able to get surgery scheduled for Levi yesterday, so the two of us arrived at the hospital at 6:00 in the morning. Okay, it was 6:10. But nobody yelled at us about the ten minutes. Everything started right on time, and the surgery was in fact shorter than anticipated. In addition to another pin, there’s now a screw in there. Let us hope this does the trick.

Levi actually usually enjoys his time in the hospital. Where else do you get to lie in bed and eat pizza while watching cartoons? And order as many slushies as you can drink? And there’s always a supply of nurses to stop by and tell you how cute you are. (Oddly, this last service does not extend to me.)

The staff wanted Levi to have eaten something and kept it down before we took off, and to make sure the oral pain meds were working before we took off. That was all accomplished late in the evening, and we got to go home to sleep.

I wasn’t thinking, and had packed a pullover sweatshirt as Levi’s coat. That wasn’t going to work with the splint, but Papa is an innovator.

When we got home, Paul said he’d stay up and get everybody settled in bed, so I kissed them all and went to sleep. I woke up ten hours later. I don’t even remember the last time I did that. I felt like a new woman.

We had a family Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration tonight. Thanks to my sister-in-law Ruth, I didn’t have to cook anything (she took over my food assignment as well as her own), and thanks to my sister, The Incredible Auntie, I didn’t have to wrap any presents.

I don’t know if I believe that we are given trials for a specific purpose – I think sometimes bad things happen and there’s just really no good reason. But I do believe we have a choice about how we respond, and how we allow them to change us.

I realized yesterday that I think I am losing my arrogance. I tried to think of a nicer word there, but I think arrogance is the most accurate. I’ve spent a good deal of my life refusing to accept help because I was too proud to admit that I needed any. I’ve been ashamed to admit that I couldn’t, in fact, do it all, and that some things were going to slide. I’ve been reluctant to accept favors because I couldn’t stand to think that I owed anyone anything. Even gratitude.

In the last year, though, I have accepted help for things both mundane and huge, and said “yes please” and “thank you” and been grateful to the depth of my soul. I absolutely cannot do this life thing by myself, and I’m so thankful for people who are willing to help.

I’m kind of a slow learner. Maybe I’ll finally get this one, though. Here’s hopin’!