Six Weeks and Some Change
Last week marked a special day.
September 28th, 2023 was the day my Dad was released from constant care after his heart surgery and pacemaker implant back in early August.
Ya see, it wasn’t just a quick procedure for the pacer but an emergency, “oh shit, he will die if he doesn’t have this right NOW” type of thing. The Paramedics and the Doctor in the Emergency Department saved my Dad’s life that day. August 10th, 2023.
Since then, there’s been change. Lots of change.
Back in mid-August, Doctors said he needed help.
They said he’d need constant, 24/7 care for a minimum of six weeks.
I was there. I wanted to be there. I felt like nothing else mattered at that point but my Father and my Family.
He went through physical therapy and the day-to-day changes he had to make like a damn champ, like it was nothing, and like he had rebuilt his strength a thousand times before. Mentally, physically, emotionally, he’s built, rebuilt, and rebuilt again.
“That’s what a Sanders will do as long as God keeps us here”
From being on life support through the days spanning his 76th birthday to driving himself to run errands in just over 6 weeks was a miracle. An incredible thing to witness first-hand.
That same six weeks brought on so much.
Positivity, progress, heartfelt care and concern from friends I haven’t spoken to in years.
Clients coming out from their busy schedules to say what’s up and offer help and even offer work to be done to compensate for the financial change this also put into play.
Co-workers offering daily meal delivery or pet-watching / pet-sitting help.
Longtime freelance clients coming back around to say “hey, let’s work!”
Wildly enough, It also brought out the absolute worst in some folks from my closest professional circle and within my day-to-day.
A place of “employment” and “team” that put me out on my own in an unpaid “leave-of-absence” while caring for my Dad had also become a place I’d only hear from a select few.
A place that would be, from the point of 2 weeks into all of this, just a speck on the rearview in my creative career.
Resigned from, left to figure out where that “family dynamic of a close-knit team” would go from there.
I only cared because there are a handful of extremely talented, super rad people there that I considered friends.
As for the “leader” at the helm… well… meh… Heartless at best.
Here we are, right at 8 weeks from the time the clock stood still with my Dad.
I’m back home about 90 miles from my parents house.
As for work, I’m busier than ever but still wide-ass open for creative projects.
I repeat… I AM WIDE-ASS OPEN FOR CREATIVE PROJECTS.
I’ve moved on and could really care less about the negative impacts all of this put forward.
We are only built by what we endure and for that, I am thankful I was taught a few things about right and wrong.
If anything, it only continued to show that, even in six weeks, change is the only constant.
Every single day.
