I have always believed in the power of prayer and regularly sent my thanks and requests forward.  The diagnosis of Sharyl’s illness changed the content and increased the seriousness and frequency of those prayers. At the top of the list was “please make this cancer thing go away”.  I believe god hears and answers all prayers and there is a reason for his answers. I also know, with a few exceptions, I didn’t get the answers I wanted.

I always asked god to give me the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional strength to care for Sharyl as long as she needed me.  The mental, spiritual and emotional things are certainly debatable but for eleven hundred seventy something consecutive days I was physically able to tend to her needs.  I know I lived in the same controlled environment we felt Sharyl needed, and I didn’t do anything stupid to aggravate a tricky back, but I will give all the credit to the man upstairs.  I will be forever grateful.

Maybe we each have an allotted number of sick or bad or whatever you want to call them days and god was gracious enough to advance me a bunch of good ones. I believe payback time has begun.

Last time we talked my Sciatic nerve was causing me to spend way too much time with a little yellow ball.  A few days ago my allergies or a sinus infection or something kicked in.  To use an old Rylie term “my nose wasn’t working”.  The two didn’t play well together, the sinus deal liked kicked back in the recliner, and the Sciatic nerve could only tolerate about ten minutes per hour in that position.

If I wasn’t reclined, I kept a Kleenex in my hand.  I guess I should say tissue, but growing up we never said do you have or do you need a tissue; we called the things Kleenex.  We always kept a box or two strategically placed around the house, Sharyl shopped for that sort of thing.  If I needed one I knew where to look.

When she got sick, shopping for that sort of thing became part of what I did.  We also increased the number to a couple or three boxes in each room of the house. After my first shopping trip I learned there is a difference in Kleenex, it wasn’t as simple as just grabbing some as I went down that isle.  Sharyl said in that certain voice “get the ones with lotion”. I also learned she preferred Puffs to Kleenex; I think that was because of box design.

On two different occasions this past week I needed Kleenex so I bought Puffs with lotion.  I still keep at least one box in each room, and truthfully I still use them for my eyes more than I do for my nose.

I’m sorry I guess I kind of drifted a little.  I believe I have about completed the first installment of the payback.  I haven’t seen that stupid tennis ball since Friday night and I have only used a half dozen or so Kleenex or I should say Puffs with lotion today.

Thanks for riding along, maybe one day soon I will have something interesting to share.

I still need and appreciate your prayers.

Good Night and God Bless.

Dave