YOLTwice

"You only live once."

Or do we?

Isn't life funny?
We wake up each morning and we think we have it all figured out.
Like who we will spend our lives with, how we will spend our time, how we will live and act; all according to plan, right?

Then we are thrown a curve and we enter a new life. One in which the playbook that worked so well before doesn't work anymore.
So... Maybe we only live life twice.

This is certainly the second go round in my existence.

That was brought home to me this weekend when hubster was 'stricken' with the same cold that I succomed to last week.  Except I had the woman's version of a cold.  Treat the headache, sore throat, and suck on Cold Eze to make the symptoms last for as short a time as possible.  Get up, get dressed, get out and pretend you are not sick.  Yep, that's the way we females do it.

For his part, hubby was sympathetic for my ailments but nothing else changed.

Flash forward one week to the day.  "Ohhhhhh.  >ahem< I have a sore throat".  It snowballs from there to a full blown cold a la my cold, but this time its the MAN version.
The man version of this cold means all outings stop.  No unnecessary movement (aka work) is performed.  Shoes are no longer worn as only slippers are needed. I am the proud mama of a retired man-baby.

Yes, my Deere did warn me how he would act when the stray illness came around and I did play into it all willingly.  My new baby soaked up the attention I gave him.  I administered the cold remedies, kept lozenges, kleenex, ice water within easy reach should he need them. I gave him snacks, tea, hot chocolate and I put up with his grizzled old man look and the awful sounds of him blowing green snot into lotion tissues.  I made homemade chicken soup and fed him breakfast in bed. Day two of The Cold had my baby on the couch under a blanket with his head on a bed pillow watching his extensive collection of James Bond movies. This guy came with a plethora of movies of all kinds- one of the nice bonuses.  He had told me that when he gets sick or colds he watches James Bond even though he has seen each of the movies many times.  This day he chose You Only Live Twice.  I had not seen it in its entirety so it was entertaining for me and a sleeping pill for him.  Neither of us left the house.

Day three of The Cold began with breakfast in bed for the cold victim, followed by a movie called Unbroken(really good, btw), a new round of cold medications and then a day of football watching while covered with the wool throw. My baby stirred only to use the bathroom.

I had to get away for a walk and I took Robbie outside in the pleasant 70 degree day.  We both had cabin fever.  While out walking I reflected on the differences between this life I live now compared to the old life I had just a year ago.

There are advantages and there are disadvantages in Life I and Life II.  There are still sooo many times when I notice I compare this man to the man of my old life. Just for example, Gary would not have been as likely to lie around if he were sick.  And I would never have waited on him for just a cold as I do my new husband.  Every day I come to grips with the fact that I will never again have a person like I did and I also think I'll always be jolted by that fact.

I have to reinvent my life every morning now.  I have to make choices on how I want to live and how I want to act.  Its hard to think like a married person again.  I want some of the single woman lifestyle I used to enjoy.  Like having to make food that pleased only me and helped me lose 84lbs.  Now with another person and a totally different metabolism to think about, it is a challenge I haven't figured out how to conquer yet.

There is also joy and fun and anticipation in me when I think of my future -our future- though.  That's what keeps me going and looking forward to a good year of a new and improved life to live. I know I am lucky and I am reminded of this all the time.

Now if you will excuse me, I have someone I care very much about to get to bed.