A Pair of Pivot Queens

I talked a while back about my well-developed ability to pivot, and this week provided a refresher course for both me and the CWP. When a badly sprained foot (pro tip: if you can, take a moment to become fully conscious before responding to a fire alarm) was added to her challenges, we decided to move her to my house temporarily for some rest and TLC.

It was a bitter pill for her, who had just the week before taken the proverbial step forward. I watched her vent a little and then pivot. She read and listened to podcasts and created in the time she would have been otherwise occupied. She couldn’t go to dance class, but she was down on the floor stretching and lifting weights.

There were minor adjustments on my part as well; having someone else in the house changes its rhythms. There were errands, and consistent meal preparation, and fetching, and fussing. And there was almost total abandonment of my normal routine because I much preferred to commune with my bestie. So, I squeezed in some things while she slept and surrendered the rest.

Despite being unplanned (and physically painful for her), it’s been a lovely little sojourn. One that will end today as she sets off for a long dog-sitting gig. The silver linings are always lurking; sometimes you just have to pivot a little to find them.

Ways I Found Joy This Week

Hitting the reflexology spa after a cortisol-soaked day

Having my fairy hair refreshed while having a great chat with the talented fairy hair goddess

Finding a beautiful ceramic mug from Spain with the perfect heft while rummaging through Habitat for Humanity for collage materials

Spending an afternoon crafting with the CWP (or, as she dubbed it, a crafternoon)

Catching up with far-flung beloveds on the phone

Things I Learned This Week

That the earliest version of ice cream dates back to ancient China

That, although ill-advised in some situations in the past, I really do enjoy caretaking

Quotes That Resonated This Week

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

Rainer Maria Rilke

If everything around seems dark, look again. You may be the light.

Rumi

Wrong eighty-year-old.

Anonymous

What I Watched This Week

Orphan Black (Netflix). Glad I committed to this rewatch. The final seasons were action packed and full of twists, with humor laced throughout. Incredibly emotional finale (and I’ll be missing this world for a while).

Obsession (Peacock). A dark comedy/horror film in which a young man’s wish that his co-worker/friend would love him more than anyone else turns into a supernatural nightmare. Although there were a couple of scenes I could have skipped (will probably never be a true horror fan), some great satire about dysfunctional relationships and some sly social commentary made me glad I watched.

Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 (Paramount). More amazing talent, fashion, and fun. Loving the special guests (politicians and celebrities who use their platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights).

What I Read This Week

Whistler, by Ann Patchett. She’s the only writer whose fiction and non-fiction both make me swoon. A chance encounter at a New York City museum reunites Daphne with a man who was briefly her beloved stepfather over forty years earlier. Beautiful examination of memory and regret and heartwarming celebration of love. I felt a little bereft on finishing; I loved these people so much.

Furious Violet, by Sarai Walker. A true crime author is being stalked. Is it the still-at-large killer she’s currently writing about? Or a deranged fan of her mother, a famous poet a la Sylvia Plath, who died by suicide when Violet was a baby? The suspense builds nicely and the commentary on many aspects of motherhood as well as literary fame are incisive.

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Thanks for reading!