I returned home to a sea of supportive friends, one appreciative husband, four affectionate children, and one case of head lice.
Yes.
I am not even making that up.
Meanwhile my parents and sister closed on a house three weeks ago, and now it appears that the seller has no plans to vacate the premises.
Could everyone reading this please offer a prayer for my parents right now? A prayer that this would resolve itself immediately without animosity, without legal action. They need this about as much as I need head lice in the house.
Here's the thing I'm slowly realizing about grief. First, it puts everything in perspective. Three weeks ago my biggest complaint was a four hour flight delay. And then: perspective. So part of me is like, "Head lice? Who cares? House seller asserting squatters' rights? Who cares?"
But the other part of grief, I'm finding, is an all-enveloping combination of fog and fatigue that leaves you with a surprising inability to formulate the most elementary of plans. I look at the instructions on a box of macaroni and cheese and find myself flummoxed.
Lice, like any icky infestation, requires a multi-step solution and a jolt of fortitude that I'm struggling to drum up. Just basic care and feeding of the gang is draining at the moment. My friend Rachel ran the swim team carpool on Thursday, and I was all "Whew! Feels like I've been back and forth to the pool everyday for three weeks." In fact, I had driven Tuesday and Wednesday.
Fog and fatigue.
At a meeting the other day, we spent a few minutes in prayer seeking a word of direction from the Holy Spirit. One friend sensed the word stand.
And that's what we're all trying to do right now. We're standing.
Tim, my big boy who no longer looks much like the picture above, is heading out tomorrow to spend two weeks running a summer camp in rural Appalachia. I did this for many, many years, and I could write a book detailing the work this apostolate accomplished in my soul. May Tim's Jenkins experience feed him as well.
Thank you, thank you for your continued prayers. You are keeping us afloat.
6 comments:
One of the Bible verses that gives me great solace at times is: Having done all, stand. (Paul to the Ephesians, 6:13) I think "all" is relative. It can mean, All you're able to do right now, in these circumstances. "Stand" I take to mean a few things: keep still, stay in trust, stay calm, just be. Let go of asking more of yourself. When your legs are physically buckling under you, or you are flummoxed by the simplest things, just allow yourself to stand, spiritually, where you are, and know that you are doing okay. A corollary may well be: don't be afraid to ask for help.
I'm keeping you all in my prayers. I imagine you being held up (standing?) by the prayers of so many people. I'll add a specific request for the resolution of the house problem.
Thanks for letting us know how you're doing, Kelly. Big hugs from Scotland. xox
Unfortunately, I am the queen of lice removal. When my daughter was is elementary school, she would get it ALL the time. Every.single.year. If you want some good natural remedies that work, let me know. Glad your home, and I'll keep your family in my prayers for all those intentions.
Christine - I shared your words with a friend who is sick, sick, sick in the early stages of pregnancy. Maybe her version is "lie"! Thank you for your prayers. I do need to just be for the time being.
Kris - Give me your tips for dealing with the house, car, etc. I am so paranoid that we didn't get everything. These things are so tiny!I start to itch just thinking about it again. Blech! I associate lice with winter, not summer, but here we are.
Actually we are doing well today. On Sunday we had a day with nothing to do. I can't remember the last time that happened. Dave and I dozed on the couch and watched Sense and Sensibility, one of my favorites.
Thankfully, lice only live for a very short time if they are off the host. A solid vacuuming of all cloth surfaces should do the trick. You can also get some quality tea tree oil and put it in a spray bottle with water or witch hazel and spray all those surfaces. Lice do not like tea tree. I have a friend who also puts drops of it in all her shampoo bottles. My daughter had it so often (a couple times a year!) that I stopped using the medicated stuff - it's so horrible for you. My favorite remedy is a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and mineral oil. I saturate the hair and then put it up in a shower cap for an hour or so. The oil will kill the active lice and the vinegar will loosen the "glue" that holds the nits on the hair. You then wash once (it will still be greasy) and do the comb through. I prefer to use my fingernail because the combs often don't get everything. Then I leave the hair greasy overnight and give it a good wash in the morning. This has worked every time. The good news is that as many times as she would get it at school, none of the boys ever had it and neither did I or my husband. So hopefully, you will have the same experience! My daughter had thick blond hair and for some reason, they seemed to like it. It was always in the winter and spring - we started putting mousse in her hair during those times - they prefer fully clean hair, so the mousse seemed to keep them away. Hope that helps!
Kris - This is very helpful! I am shampooing every morning with a shampoo that has tea tree oil in it. If all is not perfectly clear Tuesday (which will be a week since rid), I will do the vinegar mix. So far it's just Ainsley. Nothing short of amazing given that I lie down with her ever single night and she meanders into our room about 4:00 a.m. Pretty much every morning. Our sheets have never been so spiffy; our pillows have never been so fresh!
I can laugh now, but my head was never so itchy as when Meghan had lice! I was constantly asking Jim to "check my head". She was always the only one. I think it's because little girl have the tendency to sit REALLY close together all the time, with their heads leaning into each other. Boys just run around all the time, so I think that's why they are less susceptible. I became so pragmatic about it eventually. You can take heart knowing that while she had it multiple times, it was in very early elementary. By the time she was a little older, it stopped. And treasure that early morning invasion. I was convinced that my youngest was NEVER going to not be in our bed when I woke up in the morning. Last year, I woke up one day and realized that it had been several weeks since he had come down. He just stopped one night, and now I miss it!
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