Today was a blur. Going to the office with 13-year old and 3-year old in tow, finishing edits on a manuscript, meeting new graduate students, meeting with existing grad students about research, arranging faculty meetings, dropping off one kid at the dentist's, picking up another kid, and then coming back to the dentist's - that was the whole day. I planned on taking the kids to the pool in the evening to unwind (and maybe swim a few laps), but the pool was closed for chemical treatment. So we went back home, changed, then decided to come back to the gym so the 7-year old can go rock-climbing. Today was a blur.
But amid the busy-ness, I was reminded many times of the value of being in the moment. By that, I mean total concentration on just the thing at the moment. A major part of this was having Mireya beside me the whole day. When you have to make sure a 3-year old is not bored and satisfied, and when you are interrupted many times, you just have to pay attention. So I didn't feel stressed out. There are lots of funny moments with little kids. It was also good to spend time with my son at the climbing wall. I was belayer, and he enjoyed it, though he hasn't made it to any top yet. So all in all, this day was fine- I got to do some of the things I had to do at the office, and I did spend some time with my kids.
Another reminder was a phone call to a friend of my sister's whom I met last year in the Philippines. Their son Jack has a rare genetic disease called Fanconi Anemia, and they have been trying to raise funds for his bone marrow transplant to give him his best chance of living a long normal life. They were supposed to attend this camp in Maine for kids with FA, but they missed it, because Jack had to be hospitalized several times while in Los Angeles, where they stopped over at his grandparents' house. Imagine being in a foreign country, with no medical insurance, with a kid with a life-threatening disease. They have spent a lot, and will probably spend more, as Jack undergoes more blood transfusions and needs more medicine.
These are the reminders that amid our busy-ness, there are more important things going on in the world. There are parents praying and doing their best to keep their children alive. In the end, these are the things that matter. Kiss your children tonight, tell them you love them. Be reminded of what life is about.
To learn more about Jack Simbulan's brave fight against FA, and to help the Simbulans, please visit www.savejacksimbulan.blogspot.com
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