The Ugly List

I keep saying it, but I'll say it again: Fall 2016 has been a real Mother-Trucker.

A lot of ugly, annoying, frustrating, and generally scaring things have been going on, and I don't just mean the election.

Let me try to condense it down into a concise list which will be known as The Ugly List:

1) Publishers rejected my graphic novel (mainly because of the artwork)

2) My wife woke up in the middle of the night feeling like she was in the middle of a heart attack

3) The medical emergency turned out to be gall bladder trouble (which would lead to two ER visits and eventually a surgical operation)

4) The martial arts studio -- an oasis for my daughters -- is going through a lot of turmoil. It's a family business, and now some family drama has led to the termination of one of their beloved instructors. His has caused a lot of heartbreak for my girls.

5) Worst of all: a family member's mental illness took a drastic turn. We tried to get help from many different places, and kept running into dead ends and wrong turns. Finally, we turned again to the emergency room to make sure this person was safe. (Seven days later, this person was released -- and is fortunately getting better each day.)

6) The fear that things won't get better.

7) Emily's birthday was in the middle of all this drama -- so, that must've sucked for her.

8) Mackenzie got bit by our dog while she tried to save a lizard. We rushed her to an urgent care facility, but they didn't have an Xray. (She thought her hand was broken.) So, it was yet another trip to the ER.

9) Oh, during one of those hospital visits, I got a parking ticket for $68 but that seems trivial.

10) We thought we would be welcoming a new niece and nephew into our family, but now it seems the birth mother has changed her mind and our dear friends may not be adopting twins after all. (keep your fingers crossed that there is still hope for them.)

Of course, things could be a lot worse. I am thankful that my loved ones are still alive and doing well. I am also thankful that I have a meaningful that provides good health insurance. Maybe next blog post I'll create a Gratitude List.