A Change of Routine

When I came into her room, my three-year-old granddaughter Zoë’s eyes grew wide. “Is it time to get up, Nona?”

I glanced at my watch. 6:30 a.m. “Let me get ready and we’ll talk about it.” Before I could even wash my face, Zoë appeared at the bathroom door fully dressed.

“I’m ready!” she said, jumping up and down.

I’d hoped to enjoy my morning routine, sipping my first cup of coffee in my favorite chair, but Zoë was about to change that.

We headed to the deck, me with my coffee and Zoë with her hot chocolate. Instead of sitting inside and looking out the window at nature, I sat at the patio table and enjoyed nature up close with my granddaughter. We looked for the animals scampering in the underbrush and spent countless minutes watching bumblebees gather pollen from the flowering trees next to us.

I thought about my need for routine. Whether being a caregiver to my mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s or for our daughter dealing with cancer, I always searched for something that would be routine in my day and didn’t want to change it. Now with additional opportunities to help care for our grandchildren, I’m embracing change in my routine as something that can be okay, something I can handle.

Zoë gave a contented sigh. “Nona, this is the best.”

I smiled at her. “This really is the best.”