I spent a few hours today looking back at novels I started and wanted to pick back up. I got so lost in one that I added 3,000 words, not noticing how mentally tired I was until I walked away. (3,000 words is about 10 double spaced pages, FYI.) One of the hobbies that continues to make me happy pre- and post-attack is gardening. And my husband continually supports my plant whims and impulse buys. Over the weekend, it was Emperor Wu hostas. I had never seen them in a store before, and they could be mine for $10. They are the largest known hosta variety and exactly what I needed to make a shady back corner feel more lush, tropical, and inviting. Giant 4-5 foot tall hostas might do that. Or they might make it feel like I’ve stepped into Jurassic World. Either way, I really don’t mind.

My final grades got posted, and I am beyond excited. Y’all, I managed to get an A in organic chemistry 2. In fact, I got a 4.0 in cell bio, organic chemistry 2, microbiology, and all of their respective labs! The A in organic is what really flabbergasted me. I adored the biology classes and could read biology textbooks for fun, but I had to work at organic chemistry.

My husband has been with us for three Mother’s Days now. One, we’d barely begun dating. The next, we were newlyweds. And now, I think we’re comfortable and finally know more about who we both are. I was told to go sit upstairs and read on Saturday by my plotting daughter. I read, but I do have superhearing, courtesy of the PTSD. And I heard the sewing machine whirring and wondered what they were plotting. On Mother’s Day, my family gifted me with chocolates (a tried and true, much beloved option) and my daughter had been sewing me a constellation-covered pillow case. Ben bought me plants because he knows anxiety simply can’t survive the thrill of putting a new plant where it will thrive and be beautiful.

But the things that made me happiest were the cards that my family all wrote messages in. My kids are all old enough to say heartfelt things in cards now, and I love it. My eyes roam over the ink, and I soak it in. And for a bonus, we got to hike with a dear friend and her family to a local destination. My kids trudged through 8 miles, four downhill, four uphill. And we saw a few wonders–hundreds of tadpoles, many wildflowers, waterfalls, and huge butterflies. But mostly, I adored my kids seeing new places and experiencing the world. We were all exhausted, but happy.