Some things are timeless… And some places are timeless. I am lucky enough to hail from one of those places, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

My mother and I recently took a trip back, it was a 3-hour drive on a Sunday afternoon when the Eagles play at 1:30 at home, but it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. Amazing how everyone looked both the same and different simultaneously. I definitely stuck with the older crowd, there was “walker” parking and a collection of canes! I was even gifted some snazzy new canes so that I can show off my style while also showing off my independent walking dexterity.

I say the walking part tongue-in-cheek because the behind the scenes necessary to orchestrate the oxygen delivery and tanks just to make this drive is mind-blowing to me. It was honestly such a short visit, about 2 and 1/2 hours of actual quality time with family, but when you add in the drive and the planning, the actual outing took over 10 hours of energy. 

I am very much looking forward to the next stage in my recovery where I am able to use a portable oxygen concentrator and remove the toxic oxygen delivery company from my life. The whole process has honestly made me want to start either an advocacy group or a non-profit to help other people who are going through this. I have joined several groups online, and it’s amazing how many people are suffering in silence at home and their mental health is deteriorating because they cannot leave. When you cannot breathe, you cannot leave. It is very hard to understand until you are living it.

If I had my way, I would gift everyone with breathing difficulties these exterior lungs to allow them the freedom to continue to explore their world. But for now I digress and all I say is this: as you age, ask those important people in your life who were a formidable presence as you were growing: ASK! Relive your memories together and now ask them how they remember it. I find it fascinating when you can take a core memory and further understand it through the lens of the person you have become, and with the additional information of the other people who were present during that pivotal time in your life.

But just as much as I want you to indulge in life’s sweet memories, I hope you’ll also indulge in the dessert table. Because some things in life can be so small but bring such monumental moments of Joy. My joy just happens to be dipped in Nutella.