Yesterday morning, I got an email from my downstairs neighbor, Karen, with this subject:
PENNY THE PEN IS ON YOUR STEPS GOING UP TO YOUR APT ON THE BACK STEPS
I herein realized, “Oh, no! I’ve lost track of Penny the Pen* twice in two days!”
The rest of Karen’s email is here:
Dear Ann, I moved it up from the back hall as you walk in because I didn’t want Faxy to chew it and I meant to email you last night. Sorry i didn’t. But she is there today and waiting to picked up. Love, Karen
Here’s what I want to say about that email:
- Karen is apologizing, like a lot of people I know here on this earth, for no good reason, since she is doing me a huge favor.
- Karen refers to Penny as “it” and “she” here, which makes me feel a little bit better about referring to Faxy sometimes as “he” and “she.”
- Lots of people here might not know who Faxy is.
That’s Faxy, Karen’s adorable dog, saying “I’m here!” She most recently appeared in my New Year’s Eve post, here.
Thank you, Karen, for preventing Faxy from saying, “I’m here” to Penny by chewing her to pieces.
I’m here to tell you that after I got that great email from Karen, I went out into the hallway, and found this here:
This Mommy is glad that Karen is here and that I’m here, too.
I’m here to tell you I then snapped these photos, to let you know that Penny is still here, thanks to Karen:
This may be neither here nor there, but those three photos show that I’m now being more careful that Penny stays here with us, as I transport her between home and my office.
After an interesting day at work yesterday, where several people said, “I’m here!” in their own healing ways in individual and group therapy, I walked back to my car, through the frozen Fenway Park area of Boston. When it’s very cold and I’m here in the friggin’ freezing Northeastern USA, I don’t pause to pose Penny in pictures, purely to make sure that both Penny and I feel fine.
However, be assured that I’m here with Penny while snapping each of these following images:
Whenever I walk by that statue of my old hero, Captain Carl Yastrzemski, I salute him, just to let him know “I’m here!” (and so are you, Carl, as I’m writing this.)
After I got home from work last night — saying, “I’m here!” to my boyfriend Michael — Michael (and, later, my son Aaron) tried to guess what the “I’m here Mommy!” sign meant. In the meantime, I took these here three photos :
What else did I want to say about “I’m here (Mommy!)” before I leave here for cardiac rehab AND a full Friday’s workday?
- I’m very glad I’m here, in the blog-o-sphere, work-o-sphere, and long-weekend-o-sphere (starting tomorrow).
- My 16-year-old son, Aaron, never, ever called me “Mommy.” (He called me “Mama” when he was little.)
- I called my late mother “Mommy” when I was a little kid.
- To me, the most impressive “I’m here Mommy!” photo here in this here entire post is that of the shy white-and-tiger kitty, Harley, who is so skittish I wonder what happened with his mommy and others in his life, during the two years before he communicated “I’m here Mommy!” straight to my heart in a local adoption shelter.
What music is saying “I’m here” to me, in the moment?
Elaine Stritch, who is no longer here with us — but who was here for 89 years (mommy!) before she died last year — is singing Stephen Sondheim‘s “I’m Still Here” still here, on YouTube.
Feel free to let me know “I’m here!” by leaving a comment below for this proud Mommy.
Many thanks to Karen, Faxy, Aaron, Michael, Captain Carl, Elaine Stritch, Penny the Pen, my ex-business partner Jonathan (who took the fabulous photo of the little kid with the aardvark), my patients, mommies (and non-mommies) everywhere, and all those who say “I’m here!” as best they can, including you (of course!).
* Penny the Pen is saying “I’m here Mommy!” in her special way in previous posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
I’m here (for now)!
Yay!
It’s late and I’ve had one too many wines so the post has me a bit confused – I will digest its nuances tomorrow! I get the gist but not the details – xxx
Hi Julie! I’m so glad you’re here. As usual, I embedded a lot of meanings. Thanks for taking the time to be here once (and maybe twice, later!) I hope you enjoyed the photos, this time around. xxx
I really like the idea of waking up each morning and saying I am here to meet the day. For me it is a great way to accept the challenges I live with each day and to embrace all that the day holds for me. Thanks for the idea.
Thank you for learning here in such a great way!
I’m here reading your post just as soon as it and I are both up.
As soon as the sun comes up to tell me it is here, I’ll be one happy woman (not a mommy nor a mom nor a mama). I’m only Mom to the many doggies and kitties I’ve had and still have.
I’m glad, Emilie, that you and your doggies and kitties are here.
I’m so glad you are here Ann! I”m here too.
Now that feels good!
Tell Penny I know what’s she’s up too. 😉
I told Penny and she knows what you’re up to, too, Val! Thanks for always being here for me and your readers.
Happy that you are here again, Ann, and keeping tabs on Penny. I’m here, too, at the other side of the ocean.
I’m happy that you’re here keeping tabs on us!
what a great neighbor!! You really are surrounded by some awesome people!
Yes, Kate, and you are one of those awesome people surrounding me!
I’m so glad Penny and Mommy are united. Faxy is too. She mentioned that to me just this morning. Have a great day. Love, Karen
Karen! I did have a great day and a great post, thanks to you and Faxy. Love, your neighbor Ann.
I am Here, for what is Near is simply a bird’s song, not Fear, and what you Hear is hope for a Year’s melody whispered in spring’s Ear, and the scent of Myrrh in blanket folds. I am Here, despite winter’s Frontier, and for springtime’s Premiere, to Persevere and Pioneer, I am Here.
I am grateful that you are here, so beautifully.
You have the coolest neighbor Ann! Glad she looked out for Penny. ❤
Diana xo
I’m sure you’re a cool neighbor, too, Diana. Thanks for being such a great neighbor here at WordPress.
Good friends and good messages all over the streets, life can’t be bad.
You’re a good friend, Hilary, who brings good messages here. Thanks!
I called my mother mommy, Ann, when lived at home, right up until leaving for college at age 17. Then she was mom. My younger sisters, though, called her mommy for all time. Even when we talk about her now, RIP, Mom.
I think Penny the Pen needs the clip and necklace type setup that you’d honor your reading glasses with, or maybe a lanyard sort of setup such as for a work ID. She’s wriggling out of your pockets too much these past few days, my friend.
It’s always better when you’re here, Mark (in case I haven’t been clear here before). I am securing Penny in her backpack home much better, but I shall try to hold on to her even better, per your instructions. During the winter, instead of declaring “Here!” I’m usually asking “Where?” about gloves, scarves, phones, pens, etc.
I’m glad to be here, glad to see you here today. Very happy that you are here!
And I’m especially grateful that my father-in-law was ‘here’ today to read the card i mailed him just yesterday. I was ‘here’ in the moment, writing him what i feared i would not get to tell him should he pass and no longer be “here.”
You won my heart today with this, present in my moment of being ‘here’ and grateful that i could thank you for arriving here.❤️
I am very moved, here, by your thoughts about your father-in-law, you, me, and “here.” I’m very grateful I met you here on WordPress.
Likewise, girlfriend! 🌟
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“I’m here” are comforting words 🙂
More comforting words, from Emy!
Faxy, the dog, really caught my eye, Ann. I love the cats, too. This was an uplifting post, giving hope to others. Pets really help us to feel good, improve our health, too.I was here today, sometimes not able to visit. I am grateful for this time and still love my Mom, stopped calling her Mommy in middle school. My son calls me “Mom” while my two daughters respectively call me “Mama” and “Mamacita.”
This was a very uplifting comment for me, Robin. It’s always great when you visit here!