FluSchmoo

Life is a bit off kilter these days. Tyler, Livia, and Jude are sick. Livia started it and Tyler rounded out the threesome earlier this afternoon with the sneezes, nose runs, coughing, and slight fever. I am the most worried about Jude, of course; he's the littlest. I told the pediatrician yesterday that I just need a standing appointment each week, and then I will merely cancel if I don't need to come. She laughed and simply affirmed that Jude is going to make it through these first few months soon.

I love newborn babies. I love them swaddled and clean and snuggled close. But geesh, they are so dang stressful. Who knew eating, sleeping, and pooping could be such a challenge? And such an emotional one on the moms? Sometimes I wish I could just birth out a six month old (minus the trauma of actually birthing the poundage of a six month old).

Anyway, lunching with two good friends today proved to be a nice distraction from the nasal drips though. One of the things we chatted about was the adventure it is to keep relationships alive and meaningful in ways that extend beyond the surfacey or mundane aspects of life. Be it in marriage, familial bonds, or friendship, it seems all too easy at times to slip into patterns of coping and habit rather than navigate the ups and downs of life together, on the same team, sharing evenly the emotions of a moment. Why is this? If we are creatures of community, why can dwelling in life-nourishing community be such a challenge? Oh wait!-because we are all dorks, all damaged, and all defiant (Rick Warren would be proud of that alliteration).

This comes on the heels of our community group break-up as well. The ten of us had a fabulous DTR session last week and decided that we don't want to ruin a good thing by forcing something to continue that just isn't in the cards for any of us right now. So we parted ways amiably. But what it basically seems to boil down to is that distance had crept into our community making it difficult to be regular in attendance, honest in discussion, or fruitful in encouraging one another. Within a year we were divided and motley.

Again, if community is something that my generation so desperately craves and values, we sure do suck at it sometimes. Is this because we haven't seen it modeled very well? Or are there more reasons? And keeping in tandem with a familiar reverb in my home today-Ah-choo! (Excuse our fear to be vulnerable and receive vulnerability.)