kvetching up

 Entry 1     10:00 a.m. I'm back at work. 600+ emails waiting for me. I am unable to even fathom how to get through the slog.  Nevertheless, here I am. Jenny spent Saturday recovering from chemotherapy. She was moody, sad and angry all day. Resentful, as she often is, understandably so, that others aren't suffering as she is. What is the opposite of schadenfreude? Her step mother Lora and daughter Marissa came over to say hello, having driven up from Portland to pick up Lora's son Alex, who splits his time between Portugal and London--his husband is a very successful lawyer in London. He came to see Jenny and see his mother. The last time we saw Alex, we were having breakfast with him at a restaurant on Mercer Island. Jenny's dad and stepmom had met us first, and Alex came just as they were leaving. We spent our time talking about how terrible Mick looked and that we thought he would die soon. He passed a week or two later.  Abby, 2008. Yesterday, Vale...

 Entry 1    3:17 p.m. My family is coming to Sunday brunch every other week. Jane, Mike, Sarah and Hanna came today. Halloween is magic again with a 5 year old among us.  My sister and niece brought the entrees.  I went to Bakery Nouveau, yes there is one nearby, and got pastries.  Too. Many. Pastries. I am not sure if I am being callous, but with only adults at the table, I discussed the visit to the UW Liver Tumor Clinic with the assembled. I described them as saying they have nothing else to offer and noted they are much clearer about the state of Jenny's disease than VM. Jenny started sobbing. My sister asked, and rightly so, whether Jenny wants to know more clearly what is going on.  It's a fair question. I want her to understand. But, am I putting my needs in front of hers? She has been sobbing off and on ever since.