It started one 15 hour work day when I returned from work to find my mom in pain on the couch. Literally ten minutes later me, my dad, and my mom were in the emergency room waiting for a diagnosis of pancreatitis and appendicitis. Granted, my champion of a mom was in and out of the hospital within 24 hours without any problems but that didn’t mean recovery was convent. I'm sure anyone that has ever moved out of their parents' home can relate, that once the parents are out of the picture surprisingly things aren't magically done. The breakfast dishes are still there after dinner. The Landry pile can be compared to Mt. Everest. The cupboards grow bare without someone to restock them. It's almost funny how much a family misses one person. Then I was put on 3rd shift.
Those of you that have, kindly, followed my blog for the past month probably noticed that some posts don’t really have any relation to my exchange (*cough* An Island in the Sky). You see, I would write poems and such in between cars when I wasn’t doing dishes back on drive through. I have a blogging requirement to fulfill, but what do you say when you have nothing to say? I wasn’t excited about my exchange. I was dead beat tired from working, coming home, cleaning and being step-in-mom, sleep for a few hours, then repeat the process. I didn’t want to blog about that. I wanted to escape into an island in the sky. But that's not reality when people need you.
Things did start to look up. Mom's recovery started to pick up, I got off of 3rd shift, then the unimaginable happened. My Aunt, Uncle, and cousins were in a horrific car accident on the way to vacation. People say that life can change in a blink of an eye, but nothing makes that saying more true than a car accident. My Aunt was pinned in the car and had to be removed, suffering damage to her leg and ribs and my cousin Alissa is facing traumatic spinal cord injuries and paralysis. My Uncle and my other cousin, Cameron came out with only bruises and scratches on the outside, but their hearts are worn from watching their sister and wife go through so much pain. The love and support that our family and this community has poured out on them in their time of need is so encouraging. I only wish I could be here to hug them and tell them I love them when they are finally able to come home. Leaving in a week, during the biggest tragedy my family has ever experienced, will not be easy. They tell us these things do happen when you're going on exchange, but you never believe it will happen to you. Not when you’re a corn loving Jagger. Yet here I am. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Right now, I'm answering questions. People call and want to be updated so we relay what we know. Facebook helps. We direct people to Facebook to find comfort in what my Aunt and Uncle are saying themselves. One thing is certain. Never stop smiling. You never know when tragedy could strike.