August 2021 • 1 min read

5 Moving On

While in the airport parking lot, I was feeling deep sadness, fear and confusion. Betty asked me if I preferred to cancel our weekend San Francisco Bay Area plans and just drive home to Merced so that I could rest and see our beloved cat. I said no because Barbara is expecting us tomorrow at her ranch, and we have a reservation at our favorite restaurant.

So, Betty called Steve Crumley, our friend and the Chez Panisse Café maître d’ to say that she didn’t know if I could make it up the steep stairs to the cafe where we loved dining. Both the downstairs restaurant and upstairs cafe were sold out as usual, but Steve said he would have a table for us in the downstairs dining room so not to worry. With determination, I made it up the stairs to the cafe.

Over a wonderful meal, we committed ourselves to taking it one day at a time and to making the most of the time we had together, beginning with this weekend. We needed to leave space for joy as we faced the challenges that lay ahead.