FRESH START 2.0

As I sit here at my desk on a cold rainy tuesday afternoon I reflect back on this last year. The challenges, the goodness, and I can’t help but go back into myself and be so thankful for who I am and my family.

The challenges are real, caring for a father with dementia is so very hard. His mood varies day to day and I am not sure who I will encounter on a particular day. But with that challenge, I believe I am uniquely blessed to be able to spend the last time on my fathers earth with him in my home. Sometimes we are able to talk about things that creep up in his mind, such as, climbing Mt. Damavand with him as a 3 year old in Iran. He often tells me that he had to carry me the second half of the climb. What I remember about that was having hot tea in this beautiful landscape of a mountain with a creek rushing by.

The goodness that pops into my mind is my amazing children. All three of them young adults raising a family, working towards a richer goal and still so present with me and each other. My sibs and I were never as close as they are as we got older. This last weekend was a hosted game day by my son and his wife in their new home. All the grandkids came and ran, had fun and ate and laughed. It is pure joy to feel the warmth coming from that day.

Then reflecting on my job. I worked hard in school to someday work at the University of Oregon, and now that I have been here two and half years and in three seperate departments I am so grateful. The last department I was in was very stressful and somehow this position opened up and I am thankful. I work in a department that is supportive, kind, and I get to do the exact thing I always wanted to do, which is help navigate students on how to pay their bill. I make a good wage, have excellent benefits and flexibilty to work from home (if dad needs me) or in the office (if I need a break).