Yesterday began on a low and ended on a high.  My dad woke up feeling sick and dizzy and was taken to the emergency room because his blood pressure went through the roof. Why does this happen again and again? Because he’s so stubborn about taking meds and refuses to take his blood pressure medicine daily. So, he keeps having these mini-stroke episodes. It’s very scary for us kids (middle aged kids but kids nonetheless) who are spread around the country. Our dad has always been the John Wayne, MacGyver strong silent type. A rock. A superhero…. but today a mortal man. He can’t keep doing this.  They kept him overnight, brought him back to normal and he’s back home again. How long before he falls off the wagon again with his salted fried eggs and no meds? I don’t know.

Then at the end of the day, we got a text message from our son’s girlfriend. From Cabo San Lucas. From a sailboat. At sunset. With a ring on her finger! What joy! We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. We knew she was the one. He knew she was the one. But he is the master of his own destiny and a big romantic. This was definitely a romantic proposal, complete with the modern announcement via text!

So, I’m feeling it at both ends– the sandwich generation. Worrying about my dad’s next moves; excited about my son’s future. But also feeling that my guy and I are entering a new chapter of our own lives. Soon we’re off to Spain on a grand adventure from  Seville to San Sebastian. We may not be the backpacking youth hostelers our kids are but we are still travelling light,  on our own two feet and following the sun.

And we’re feeling damn lucky and overjoyed that we will soon have a splendid new daughter in our family!