I swear I don’t wait until the middle of the month to post - honest.If I had more spare time on my hands, I’d try and figure out why I have the inclination to write on the 17th of the month, and not other times.

But of course, I don’t have that kind of time. Work has been busy, with me trying to learn all I can about IEEE 802.11 standards and wireless network security as fast as possible. I have a major briefing (to a group that calls themselves a “council”) later this month, and I can’t just understand the stuff, I have to actually get a prototype working before I can promise the world to them.

Of course, schoolwork continues. I have a major research paper due in political science in a little over a week, and all I’ve done so far is to collect sources and read. I’ve not put anything to Word yet. Well, that’s not true - I’ve typed up my “works cited” page. (I really prefer MLA to APA, but I don’t have a choice here.) I’m taking a marketing class in an accelerated session this summer, which means that even though I’m currently in week two, I have my midterm in that class next week. I should console myself that I have a perfect or near-perfect average in both classes.

This week, my thoughts have been focused on the cycle of life. One of the journal writers Jessica reads recently lost her father in a motorcycle accident. Apparently, the family was even in the car behind him to see it. It was only a heart attack, or some other individual affliction (not a vehicular accident), but still. I can’t imagine.

This week, Tommy turned 1½. I can’t believe it’s been 18 months. He’s been sniffly recently, and is bringing in his canines. Clearly his gums have been hurting him. As a bonus, for his 18-month checkup, he got rewarded with two more innoculations (which have a fever as a side effect). When the nurse was laying out the materials for his shots, he pointed to the adhesive bandages and said, “boo-boo”. I didn’t like the fact that we were about to give him boo-boos. Of course, I have the singular honor of holding him still for his shots; I have for every one since he was born. He was already feeling crappy, he didn’t need the shots on top of that. But this will keep him from getting diseases later in life, and he forgot about the shots by the time he got in the car and promptly feel asleep. (Did I mention that we were encroaching into his usual nap time?)

While it was a rough visit for him, I wouldn’t have missed it. I’ve been there for all his milestones. He is such a big part of my life, I wouldn’t know what I’d do without him. Our family revolves around him: our routine, our meals, our schedule constraints, our outings. We do everything to accommodate his needs, and that’s as it should be. I wouldn’t have it any other way. He needs us, and we need him.

Earlier this week, my cousin had to face the unthinkable. On the way home from an out-of-state trip, her twenty-something daughter complained of headaches, and that she wasn’t feeling well. Not long after, she slumped forward unconscious hard enough bloody her nose and never recovered. No amount of CPR from her mother helped, nor did the paramedics who worked on her for hours. Some of my readers may remember her from our wedding. She was the young lady in the wheelchair who suffered from spina bifida. She was my cousin’s only child, and now she’s gone. The thought hits home so much harder when you have a child of your own. We’re leaving for the viewing as soon as the boy wakes from his nap, and the funeral is tomorrow morning.

The only real way to respond is to cherish what you have, and hold those you love close.