Lifeguard on Duty

I wrote this on "one of those days" when my frustration was high, and as hard as I tried I was making no progress!

Lifeguard on Duty
Frustration is the culmination
Of disappointments that render agitation,
A series of events that drag on without resolution,
In other words, it is the yearning for a solution,
The tension builds and there is hopeful anticipation,
Patience is required throughout the entire situation,
Perseverance is necessary to fight the frustration,
But the need to resolve is a source of aggravation,
The longer the frustration exists, the shorter the fuse,
And when the dynamite explodes, there aren’t many clues,
You didn’t see it coming, like a bat out of hell,
And who the casualties will be, time can only tell,
Frustration escalates an emotional response,
It incites a bad feeling that nobody wants,
When you are treading water, and not getting anywhere,
Just remember there is a lifeguard sitting calmly in His chair,
Although frustration does have an expiration,
It requires considerable determination!

Tammy Harvey
Written: 6/9/2022

Craniotomy

 

The Scar

When Jerry had his craniotomy, it was some serious sh*t,
October 4, 2017: His life was in jeopardy with or without it,
He joked and said he wanted to “go in as a man and come out as a man”,
His surgeon said he would do the best that he can,
The surgery was long, updates were few,
The procedure was like picking sand particles out of glue,
It was messy and meticulous, but we had the best doc,
But seeing Jerry after surgery gave us a shock,
His head was all bandaged, and his face was beet red,
He was stable, but helplessly lying still in the bed,
The first few days that followed are a blur to me now,
We managed to get through it all somehow,
His head was embossed with a large, raised scar,
He was weak and couldn’t walk very far,
The shape of his scar was a backwards question mark,
“Like my $100,000 haircut?”, was his cutest remark,
The scar healed nicely, and when he got the stitches removed,
He wanted the nurse to count them, and she was quite amused,
She carefully counted each one and then she quietly said
“56 stitches I removed from your head”,
It was October 20, and I’ll never forget,
The excitement he had and his enthusiastic mindset,
It was his brother Randall’s birthday, and 56 he would be,
“How about that!”, Jerry said so happily,
He had the courage of a lion and the tenderness of a lamb,
He took nothing for granted, especially not his fam,
Family was his universe, always had been,
He told us all he was a “blessed man”, once again.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 6/10/2022

Our son took this photo after the craniotomy, but recently had it enlarged. He wanted to hang it in his office to remind him that life is short and to live life to the fullest. 

 Remembering Jerry: 4/26/58-6/25/2018

The Gift of Rhyme

He was a poet and didn't know it...
My youngest son Joshua wrote me a poem for Mother's Day this year...

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Mom of three.
Gigi of two.
Goofy as can be.
Grounded like a tree.
She's always there for me.
As caring as they come.
And far from being dumb.
She's always picking up a grandson crumb.
Thrifting and crafting
Are never lacking.
She's creative and cute.
And always a hoot!
Who woulda knew?
She'd cheer the canes on like wooo!
She's the best mom.
In fact, she's the bomb.

-written by Josh Harvey 5/8/2022
(your baby)

Platinum Jubilee Juno

Shout Out to Juno

Juno is still the fun-loving bust she ever was,
But more sophisticated and proper just because,
She is in a new home with much less clutter,
She is less silly and more likely to utter,
Wisdom rather than whimsy, I would say,
At least on this particular day,
Her new style has become simple and chic,
With her whimsical side hidden, let’s take a peek,
In honor of the recent Platinum Jubilee, she has chosen,
The look of Queen Elizabeth instead of Elsa from Frozen,
A double strand of white pearls adorns her neck, so splendidly,
Wearing a brooch would be impossible, as you can see,
White gloves complete her look,
She is certainly a Queen in my book,
In the United States, I would consider her Barbara Bush, no doubt,
Whether royalty or a first lady, she needs a shout out,
So, shout out to Juno for her new style,
At least she’ll stay this way for a little while.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 6/12/2022

Angels Among Us

 

Four Years, More Tears

After losing my husband to brain cancer, it helps me to talk,
The first time I attended the Angels Among Us fundraiser walk,
My husband had been gone for less than a year,
His memory was fresh, and I felt numb, and had no fear,
Then the pandemic occurred, and the walk was postponed for 2020 and 2021,
I couldn’t wait to attend, when the crisis was done,
Now, 2022, and I am up early and ready to go,
All by myself, my support I would show!!!
I arrived at the event as the 5K runners were crossing the finish line,
Cheers were ringing out as I parked my car and was feeling fine,
But the “fine” wouldn’t last as I strolled through the activities,
It hit me hard: waves of emotion and a tremendous flow of memories,
I saw the families there going through what I had,
It made my heart hurt, and it made me sad,
Literally, my heart ached inside my chest,
I wanted to escape, go home, I must confess,
I was no longer numb, the reality was too real,
I can’t really describe the way it made me feel,
I was grateful for Duke Hospital and all of their medical team,
I recognized many who provided us with compassion, but it felt like a dream,
A dream I couldn’t wake up from, though I was determined to stay,
I was uncomfortable and overwhelmed by the events of the day,
The awards were given, and entertainment provided,
But when all the fun activities had subsided,
The survivors there were brought up on stage to be celebrated, as they should,
I guess I desperately wanted my husband to have been one of them- if only he could,
Deep down I knew it wasn’t meant to be,
The fundraiser raised millions- a total of 3.3,
But when the song “Angels Among Us” rang out from the loudspeakers, and the walk began,
I was overcome with a flood of sobbing tears,
These tears had been bottled up for 4 long years,
It was a cleansing cry, a long-needed release,
I found it hard to believe that my husband was deceased,
I guess I’d been running on adrenaline for so long,
It was time to be weak and quit trying to be strong,
Physically, mentally, and emotionally I was weakened that day,
But in my weakness, spiritually I was strengthened anyway,
I persevered to the end, although it was hard to do,
I hope this story will encourage you.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 5/21/2022