The last week

has seemed exceptionally long. Two women close to me are experiencing life-altering difficulties: One is going through a divorce after more than two decades of marriage, and another is discovering the inside of her body is not as healthy as the outside would have us believe (The "c" word is a factor, though the type, extent, and beginning course of treatment are still up in the air).

Much of what I share here is personal. It's what I do instead of keeping an old-school, put-a-lock-on-it-and-hide-it-under-the-mattress-diary). And since my life over the past week or two has involved lots of prayer for both these women, and real-life status updates as I check in with them and those physically close to them to see how they're coping, I've stayed away from this blog. Some things are too personal to share, even on the oft-anonymous interwebs. And I haven't felt like it's my information to share. But my family sure could use your prayers, peeps.

As could I, what with my teething-so-not-sleeping baby and my always-testing-his-boundaries-especially-in-public preschooler and my about-to-leave-for-a-much-needed-restful-fishing-trip husband.

Sigh