The Thursday Dispatch - 2 July 2026
I’m currently writing this from my mom’s living room. She just had knee surgery, so I’m in town looking over things and handing her things as she needs them. A pillow for under her leg. A pen to write with. An ice pack she brought home from the hospital. So far, everything is fine. She’s hanging out in her recliner, which is surrounded by her stuff. The kitchen table has been moved out of the room so that she can move around a little easier, which leaves me working from one of the chairs left behind and a small tv tray.
She’s in her early 80s. I try to help when I can. Lord knows she raised me, primarily by herself, so the least I can do is answer when she calls. Mostly, I help troubleshoot her tech. Most of the time it’s a simple fix for my brain to figure out, but she wasn’t raised with electronics the way I was, so it doesn’t compute the same way for her. Sometimes she deletes a widget from her phone, which is beyond me because I know she doesn’t know her way in and out of doing such a thing in the first place. But I add the widget back— simple. It pales in comparison to the things she’s done for me, but still carries weight.
Many times my tech calls end up being part of a lunch date. They’re a chance to catch up. She’ll meet me close to halfway at a sandwich place she approves of, and we’ll talk for an hour or so. She’ll hear about how my life has been, how I’ve been holding up in my quiet corner of the world. She’ll tell me about the adventures between her and her boyfriend. Then I’ll fix her phone. I understand the catching up is part of the deal here.
Right now, she’s reclined. She’s doing most things herself, but my brother and I are here if needed. I won’t have children to do the same for me one day. So I’m hoping the universe affords me people who care for me the way I’m trying to care for her now. Because eventually, I’ll need the help too. In the meantime, I’m doing my honorary service.
Weekly Photo
The view of downtown Lincoln from the hospital.
This Past Week
The Listening
Songs in the Chaos
This is my weekly list of songs that either caught my attention or came to mind this past week. I post these throughout the week on a site called Crucial Tracks, where they’re also added to a playlist on Apple Music. Feel free to follow me on either space.
