PDX Perspective

Arnold Family Photo - June 1, 2010

This weekend I was going to do a lot of things. Explore my hometown more, catch up on blog entries…be productive.

Then on Saturday my family was hit with very sad news at 8:30 in the morning. My godfather, and my dad’s best friend of 40 years, passed away after a short battle with melanoma.

I ran it out while my parents began to grieve. I met up with my little brother, went to LCD Soundsystem with Kat, waited to find out if I’d be making it back to Milwaukee or detouring to DC first. 

Grandma & Me

It was really hard to watch Mom and Dad try and hold it together. I was glad I had pre-existing plans to hang out with Grandma all day on Sunday, three hours north. I tried to take my time in the car to process my own thoughts, memories of growing up with the Fisher family, reflecting on the one-year anniversary of my own father’s heart attack scare…

I tried to hug my parents as much as possible all weekend. I didn’t fight with my mom, which is a miracle in itself. I processed. I made my arrangements to DC (with a couple hiccups). Then on Monday night, before dinner, I checked Facebook. I learned that a good friend’s brother who had been in a coma the past month, passed away.

Argh.

Auntie Meghan & Joey

The weekend wasn’t without joy. I met my friend Lisa’s baby, Joey, and got to hold him until my arm cramped. I spent countless hours with my best friend, Kathleen. I am so grateful for her, I can’t even begin to describe. She amazes me with everything she has done, and all the obstacles and tragedies in her own life that she’s handled. She inspires me to be strong.

Kat, Nathan and me at Coffeetime. Circa 1998. Or on Monday night.

There were the other usual suspects, old and new, woven into the fabric of my trip home: Nathan, Jasmine, Leland, and my brother’s girlfriend, the lovely Nathalie.

I saw the Oregon Coast for the first time in years. It was rainy and blustery, but the ocean still makes me happy. The Pacific really does bring me peace.

Sibling bonding.

And then there was my family. Kevin, my brother, and I had a great sibling-bonding day. Mom and Dad and I existed peacefully in the house. Grandma and I had a blast driving all over the southern Puget Sound looking for farmer’s markets.

I was not “productive” in the sense of creating materials, but I was productive in getting perspective.

I’ve already been reaching a breaking point with my commitments, but this weekend revealed much to me. I need to spend more time with the people that I love and taking care of myself so that I’m here and healthy for the people who love me. We’re all here for just a short time.

I want to spend the summer living life to its fullest. Carpe diem, indeed.