If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few months,  it’s that cancer may interrupt your plans, but it doesn’t stop life.

The appointments eventually end, the scans and bloodwork ends.   And, the waiting?  Well… that part never seems to completely end.

But somewhere between doctor’s appointments and test results, everyday life keeps moving.  Hair still needs to be shampooed. Shoes still have to be put on. Beds still have to be made.

There are dozens of little things we do every day that we never even think about—until suddenly we can’t do them.

• Some have been frustrating.
• Some are downright funny.
• And a few reminded me of lessons I had learned years ago.

One of the first challenges was washing my hair.

If you’ve never tried to shampoo your hair with only one hand, let me tell you… it’s an adventure.

You pick up the bottle. You try to squeeze shampoo into your hand. Then you have to somehow put the bottle back down before it slips, all while trying not to lose the shampoo you just poured into your palm. By the time you’re ready to lather your hair, you’re already wondering why something so simple suddenly feels so complicated.

Then I remembered… years ago, I made my own shampoo BARS and I loved them, but like so many things in life, I got busy and eventually stopped making them.  This seemed like the perfect time to bring them back.

Instead of wrestling with a slippery bottle, I simply rubbed the shampoo bar over my wet hair, laid it down, and worked up a nice lather with my one good hand.

Problem solved.

The next challenge was shoes.

Really???

I’ve been tying my own shoes since I was four or five years old. Who would have thought that would suddenly bcome a problem?

Holding one shoe still while trying to tie a knot with one hand wasn’t nearly as easy as I imagined. After a few mornings of wrestling with my shoes, I finally admitted defeat. And bought a pair of Skechers Slip-ons. Best decision I’d made all week.

• No balancing on one foot.
• No chasing a shoe across the floor.
• No trying to convince one hand to do the work of two.

Sometimes the simplest solution really is the smartest one.

As I worked my way through one challenge after another, I realized something.

I’ve been very fortunate.  Most of my life i’ve been surrounded by people who knew how to solve problems without making them bigger than they needed to be.

My Granny was one of those people. I was probably six or seven years old…when my uncle came in for lunch with a terrible toothache. Granny told me to go get her “Bag.”

I knew exactly where it was. When I handed it to her, she dug around until she found the tiny bottle she was looking for. She put a few drops on a clean rag,told my uncle to put it on his aching tooth and bite down.

A few minutes later, he was back outside working.

At six years old, I had no idea what was in that little bottle. For that matter, I had no idea what else was in Granny’s Medicine Bag either.

I just knew one thing…

You didn’t touch Granny’s bag unless she told you to get it.

Granny was half Comanche, and her mother had been the medicine woman. She knew what roots, herbs, and oils were used for all sorts of everyday problems.   Looking back now, I wish i’d been old enough to ask more questions.

But, back to my story…

You’re probably wondering what was in that little bottle.

To this very day, whenever I smell cloves, I don’t think about cooking or the holidays. I’m instantly six years old again,and watching Granny quietly work with nothing more than a little bottle from her Medicine Bag.

It’s funny how life has a way of bringing old memoriess back exactly when we need them.

This whole journey has reminded me that life doesn’t pause while we’re waiting for answers.

Since then, I’ve bought a tiny little bottle of clove oil of my own. Not because I expect it to solve every problem… but because every time I open it, I smile and think of Granny.

I’m still showing houses to my real estate clients… Bills don’t stop coming.

I’m still working on getting my A1C where I want it.

I’m still spending time with my family and church.

I’m back to making shampoo bars again.(I’ll be putting them back in my Etsy store shortly)

And I’m finding myself remembering more and more of the things Granny taught me all those years ago.

Next – Finally We Have A Plan