You just never know.
Last week we were in New York City visiting Cole and Nicole, helping with handyman chores, walking the streets, enjoying great food, laughing, and making memories. Life felt normal. Plans were full. Summer seemed wide open.
Then Saturday, Gary started feeling a little “punky.” Nothing dramatic—just not quite himself. By Sunday he was sick. We flew home Monday, thinking he’d probably need a little rest.
Instead, Monday night found us sitting in the emergency room.
After tests, scans, blood work, and a very long night, the diagnosis was a gallbladder attack with inflammation. As I write this, we’re sitting in a hospital room waiting for an operating room to become available this afternoon.
Amazing how quickly life can change.
One minute you’re planning what restaurant to try in Manhattan. The next you’re discussing IVs, antibiotics, surgeons, and operating schedules.
It’s a reminder that none of us knows what tomorrow—or even tonight—will bring.
I’ve always been a planner. I love calendars, projects, deadlines, and checking things off the list. But life has a funny way of laughing at our carefully organized plans. Sometimes it simply says, “Not today.”
So maybe the lesson is to enjoy the ordinary days a little more. Take the trip. Eat the dessert (or at least smell it if you’re diabetic like me!). Call your kids. Laugh at silly jokes. Don’t postpone happiness waiting for the perfect time.
Because you never know.
And yes…getting older has its challenges. Parts wear out. New doctors appear on speed dial. Medical terms suddenly become part of everyday conversation. It definitely isn’t for the faint of heart.
But it also reminds us how grateful we are—for good medical care, for family who worries, for friends who check in, and for another day together.
So today, our plans consist of waiting for surgery and hoping for a quick recovery. The sightseeing has been replaced by hospital hallways.
Not exactly the adventure we planned.
But we’ll take it one day at a time.
Because you never know.
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