Excelsior

I had an appointment with my palliative care/pain management doctor this morning. He says that I'm on a good trajectory, with the pain being generally managed and my sleep being more consistent. He's pleased, as am I. The priority now is treatment for the residual pain so he's arranging a follow-up with a specialist. I'm also delighted that I've stopped some of the meds, so there are fewer to take. That's a relief, as I'm not a fan of taking a lot of pills. The nurse and I joked that if I ever worried about my memory, a good test would be to list off all of my doctors (we're up to 10 now) and my meds and their doses (down to a dozen in ale) I may make up a cheat sheet, just in case!  The heat continues... it's supposed to cool off to 23° tomorrow, but it's still 32° right now, so... I wait!

The big excitement of the week is that my niece has just completed her CXC (O' levels) and is waiting for results. Always an exciting but tense time. She and 4 of her friends held a graduation photo shoot, complete with "wine" (sparkling grape juice) and snacks. I'm incredibly proud of her, even as I'm stunned that 16 years have gone by since her arrival. Every so often I pinch myself to check that yes, she is growing up fast! It's actually harder on my sister who has to accept that her "baby" is on the verge of adulthood. As her godmother, my job is easier, but still emotional!

Both my niece, and I have some regrets that we're in different countries. Even though I spent most of my holidays there, and she's spent most of her summers with me since she was 8, there are so many milestones of her life that I missed. When she was about 4, she asked me to not return to Canada, but stay in Trinidad with her. I cried when I had to say "no," because who wants to deny a request from a 4- year old? I remember teaching her some basic sign language- she was late to start talking, and I thought that signing might be a way for her to communicate. She absorbed it like a sponge soaking up water, and was thrilled to talk with her hands. She began to talk-in full sentences-not long after, before I had to return North. During her summers with me, we did a number of "country" activities, like village fair; we did museums (which I love!); a biplane ride; Star Trek experiences; whale watching, etc. With her other Canadian aunt, she's done amusement parks, the Aquarium and other "touristy" things.

In short, we do our best to keep her busy and entertained, showing a wide cross-section of Ontario and Quebec. One advantage of her growing up is that we can do and share more. With the pandemic cancelling travel, we've been video chatting more. We started cooking together by video, where she chooses a theme, I find the recipes (easily adapted for a teen) and share them, and we both cook the same dish. It's fun and her confidence has grown by leaps! And, as she grown, we also trade book and movie recommendations. I'm loving the bonding as she grows. She's developing beautifully, and is quick, clever and kind.

I'm excited to see what develops as she moves on to her "A" Levels and beyond. I know that we have upcoming conversations on university and career-I'm both thrilled and nervous as she moves on in her life I'd love to protect her. from the pitfalls that can trap the young, and ensure that she makes the best choices for herself. But if I did all of it, I would not help her. So I will be supportive and encouraging, providing help when I'm asked. So this is one reason why I encourage her to know when to ask for help.

I asked permission to share her photo and write a little about her, and I promised not to embarrass her. I hope that I met that bar. I'm looking forward to when next we're able to be together. Even our nightly chats don't fully make up for being able to spend time together. There's loads of eccentric aunt and peculiar niece bonding to do!