How Now

How are you?  How is she?  The oft practiced rhetoric of asking, whether habit or sincere interest, usually requires a response.  The short answers live in our repertoire:  Today she is fine.  We're all doing alright this afternoon.  Last night was okay.  Most of the time it's the truth, most days we are some shade brighter than hangin' in there.  And she is, too.
And although we appreciate being asked, really we do, the long answers aren't as easy.  When your child has a dire medical condition it’s tough to know how you’re faring.  The video, though, seems to have shed more light on how she is and how we are than our responses to the common query can. 

We usually preface our replies anyway.  Today she is good.  Right now we are okay.  Life can change like the direction of the wind.  But unlike the weather forecast, there is no radar system that can predict what the next day will bring.  So instead of looking at the horizon and wondering what tomorrow will hold, we hold her and focus on the flow of her breath, reveling in the stillness behind each exhale and just feeling thankful for this time.
JEB