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What a Difference a Day Makes

Writer's picture: Karen AstromskyKaren Astromsky



It was all happening yesterday. The good--the not so good--the unexpected--the feeling that something extraordinary was happening--death--and birth. I can't make this up.


We woke up yesterday to call from our daughter in law, Tori. At 8:30 in the morning she was asking us to collect the grandkids from daycare (they just got there) and drive them to her clinic in Maple Grove so that she and husband, Eric, could take a fast moving road trip up to Fargo to see her father. Bill took a fatal turn for the worse in the hospital. He was there for over a week due to chemotherapy complications. Tori said this was "it."


All day long, I had the feeling that something was happening, but I didn't know exactly what--or how.


AND, at the same time, I knew that my son, John and his wife, Shelby who live in Memphis, were going to the hospital to have their second baby. So, that excitement energy was swirling too.


I had technical difficulties at work trying to record my classes, knowing all of this. Of course, I was very distracted. When a lot is going on, and let's face it--death and birth are as big as it gets--it's hard to stay grounded and calm.


No one wants a phone call in the middle of a crisis--or delivering a baby asking how are things, so of course, Lou and I just waited for news. Which came in due time. Bill passed away at 4PM. I don't know details. Liana Jane was born at 8:30PM. I know a few details and have seen her pictures. (MY HEART!)


So I am left with holding the full spectrum of emotions while doing my jobs and showing up. Upon reflecting on this, I am thinking that we all do this all the time. Maybe not so extremely (death and life, life and death in the span of 4 1/2 hours) but we do.


All this to say that we become super human in our ability to keep going in times of extreme challenge. Somehow, some way, we just do. We make it through. We rise with the sun for another day no matter how dark the night. I am not going to use the word resilient because that word sound covidy to me...but I am going to say super human. We do things that seem beyond our capacity or strength. The Universe really does have our back.


I know you know--that it is ALL happening, ALL the time. Give yourself credit for getting through every challenging, hard day, week, month, year or decade that you have made it through. If no one patted you on the back for it, I am! If no one said "good job" I am. If no one said I see what you did there, I am saying it now. Because it's a lot. It is super human.


xo Coach Karen :))


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