Home Alone : All Dressed Up & No Way To Go!

Welcome to my world of change. I am trying to begin the transition back into the real world...but what does that mean? Actually, it means I am struggling with my return to the real world in many ways.





Many people have "stood in the gap" for me as I have begun this journey - through surgery, through treatment. Now I am finding out what I can really do. My principal and close friend, Jeff Clark, is so patient with me as he helps me find a new role at the school. Ruth Ann Jones, a collegue and friend, has taken over the responsibility of teaching my three geometry classes. My assistant coach and former player, Gabe Lane, is incredible as he has filled (and continues to fill) my shoes. He now is working with me as I rediscover the art of coaching and connecting with students. I have forced our girls coach, Kathy Clark, to become a "techie", learning to replace video cameras and dubbing tapes to DVD's for me, so I could keep stats updated and watch our games. Steve Arthur, a dear friend, has taught, and continues to teach, our SS class. He has been such a blessing to this special group of friends as I have healed. But the one person who has picked up the slack most of all is my beautiful wife, Chris, as she has taken over all the little jobs, been my caregiver, continued to meet the needs of our students, as the HS counselor, and still maintained her 4.0 GPA as a graduate student.





Chris' parents, Danny and Zora, who I have already written about, brought their RV and stayed with us during the toughest, uncertain times. About a week and a half ago they needed to travel back to their home and business. They wanted to leave their RV to come back when I started chemotherapy and when our daughter, Callie, will be having knee surgery (a whole separate blog), so they drove my truck home. [Yes-I AM beginning to get to the meat of this blog - All Dressed Up and No Way to Go!] Over the holiays, Chris and I bought new matresses for Derick, our son, and Callie, so last week we needed a truck to transport. We borrowed Coach Lane's truck and picked up the matresses. Before our game last Saturday, Gabe gave Chris my keys back and Chris gave Gabe his truck keys.





Sunday morning came. I was pretty sore and tired from coaching on Saturday night. Chris and I enjoyed a beautiful Sunday morning, as we sipped coffee and she played through the music for Sunday morning worship. We decided that it would be best for Chris and Kati, our oldest daughter, to go to Sunday School and worship practice and I would bring our youngest daughter, Callie, to worship with me in our vehicle. Around 9:15, Chris and Kati left and we were home alone.





The wonderful Sunday morning continued. Callie and I ate breakfast and I built a fire so we would have hot coals for us when we would return home. Callie bounded upstairs to finish getting ready and I decided to start the car, so it would be warm. Hm...That's funny - no keys in my briefcase or on the catch-all desk. Where are the keys? Maybe in the car or on the key holder. No. No keys. (Ah-Ha moment) I wonder, would Chris possibly have both sets in her purse?

Have you ever tried to contact people at church? It doesn't work. I knew Chris would be worried sick, so I left messages with as many people as I could, hoping she would realize why I wasn't sitting beside her on the front pew. Later, I found out Chris didn't hear much of the sermon that morning (sorry, Brother Lyn) - the keys fell out of her purse during the service!





So - what to do? Callie and I climbed back into "comfortable clothes" and had a good laugh. Callie cleaned her room - I thought that would replace worship in a special kind of way - HA. I began preparing lunch and listened to music. Yes, we were "Home Alone." Dressed up with no way to go! Oh well, maybe next Sunday!