What's on My Mind

Usually, "out of sight, out of mind" is a good thing. But, I'm in one of those moods where just the opposite is true. It's probably this dreary Baku weather that has put me in a reflective funk, but there have been a few people on my mind more than normal lately.

My youngest niece is dealing with complications from a broken ankle that won't heal properly and now she has the flu too. I wish I could give her a great big bear hug. Maybe we could curl up on the couch together and watch a movie. I'd bring her anything that she wanted. More blankets? Chocolate shake? I'd try to brighten her day.

My oldest niece is a rock star student in her last year of high school. She is such a smarty pants that she takes all advanced classes, even though she already has a full ride to college. School is really stressing her out, plus her part-time job often requires late hours. I wish I could tell her that it will get easier, but we all know that it only gets tougher. I'd love to kidnap her for a week and just let her sleep until noon everyday.

And then there's my friend in Houston who just moved into a new house with her 2 children, husband and 2 dogs. I really want to see her new digs. I wish it was circa 2009, when I could just stop by her house and waste away the afternoon, hanging out for a few hours. Or our Baku friend who just left the company to go work in Uganda. He was the life of the party and his stories made for great re-telling. I'm also really jealous of my friend in OKC who is training for a marathon. We used to be running buddies, but that is kind of difficult now.

So, these are the things that have been juggling around in my head. I hold them all close to my heart.