Sunshine in Spades

THE SUN CAME OUT Sunday and this week----after months and months of dreary, seeming endless rain---it's been about as perfect weather as any I've seen this year. Blue skies with cool, crisp air. It's all I could do to stay inside at all the past few days. Managed to barely do most house and office chores, but frankly, being outside has been too good to pass up.

Friday, I leave for East Tennessee to join hikers in the Smokies. Saturday there's a mountain to climb with my kind of elevation gain. All to say, I'll be doing some short posts for a while. Getting out in lots of fresh air and exercise is at the top of my list right now. We all need it, but I really do.

My dear family member who spun out of control several weeks ago after going through a very difficult bout of insomnia---having suffered with this for years, but after Michael Jackson died recently has gone into utter and debilitating terror/hysteria over it---has gone to a month-long treatment program to hopefully break the cycle and her paralysing fear---and negative self-speak--that she'll never be able to sleep again. Even when she gets 4-5 hours sleep, it's not good enough. The need and demand for perfection is destroying her sanity.

My prayers are for her to get help and relief and learn to connect and get reassurance whenever she needs it--and to learn to sooth and reassure herself sometimes through these panic attacks---before it gets to this completely dysfunctional and dire (in her eyes) place again. My solace is that God is in control and I'm not. I wish I could fix this, but she has to find her own way and I believe she will by the Grace of God. My job is to pray and stay sane and centered and do what I can. But it's been tough.

Anyway, I'm going hiking this weekend. Praise God!