You've Got To Be Thoughtful...You've Got To Be Thankful

Well, it's been quite a week here in paradise. The Big Man has put me through quite a range of emotions in a very short time. First, my hypochondria was tweaked by another high PSA score on my annual blood test. Although my prostate biopsy 2 years ago was negative, the very careful Dr. Robert, after probing me with his longshoreman sized finger, said that a lot can happen in 2 years, and I ought to undergo a MRI. No problem -- I showed up Monday at Baptist, and was slid into the machine. The tech forgot to tell me one thing: a pelvic MRI lasts twice as long as other types -- like the head MRI I had last year. After an hour of staring at the tube inches from my face, I asked how much longer. Something about the tech's uncertainty set me off -- full blown claustrophobic panic attack. "Let me out, now!" my adrenaline shouted. She did, and I left. As Bette Midler sang, "you gotta have friends," and I'm blessed that I do. My old bud Kenny is a radiologist on staff at Baptist, and said over post panic cordaditos at the cafeteria he would get my results later that day. He texted me less than an our later: enlarged prostate, but nothing else! I was ELATED -- I had, in my anxiety addled mind, cheated death again! The elation led me to sign a check to UM Peds, to send young GI docs to a seminar about Crohns and Colitis, as I've been doing since 2007. And then I thought -- I'm leasing a new car. An email from GM said I could "Move Ahead," and end my lease 2 months early. So I took the man sized Buick in for the free oil change, and sat down with Rick, the NY Rican salesman I had 2 years ago -- best I've even encountered. The guy reminds me of my cousin Barry, who could, and has, sold beds to people who sleep standing up... Rick and I did a deal on a Cadillac -- an ATS sedan -- for only one dollar more per month than I pay for the man sized Buick. I was to pick up the car the next day -- Wednesday. And then Wifey called... At first she started talking about her Lexus having a problem, and she spun in a parking lot, and there was another car that she DIDN'T hit, but the mom had called 911 to have her daughter checked out... I raced to her location, just a mile away but at 5:30 a traffic choked 20 minutes, and by the time I arrived I saw that she had gunned the car in reverse, by accident, and made a backwards U turn into a parked VW. The paramedics had come and gone -- thanks to the Big Man, the little girl, 4 year old Zoe -- was fine. Her mother Jessica was lovely, and I went into concerned lawyer mode as the Miami Dade cop drew up the crash report. Wifey was fine, too, except nervous. She did, in fact, hit the car -- hard. The rear bumper of the victims' VW was bashed, and the trunk barely opened. I told Jessica I would pay all damages -- please don't report to my insurer, as my rates would soar -- and she agreed. I showed Zoe I was a magic man -- pulling a $20 out of her ear -- and while Wifey waited inside the thrift store her friend owned, I got to know Zoe, her mother, and grandma. Jessica called me yessterday, and I plan to meet her at the body shop in Doral, to leave my credit card. The range of the repair is $1500 to $4000 -- depending on what they find when they remove the bumper. Plus, I told her, I'd rent her a car. Back to the emotion swing...after Wifey and I returned, well, let's just say we didn't see eye to eye on my reaction to her escapade. The day after, I was despondent. I called Rick, and canceled the Caddy. I lost any desire for it -- I'll keep the man sized Buick until February. We also had dinner plans -- I had to cancel those, too. I thought seriously about sending Wifey and the Ds for Thanksgiving without me. I just planned to stew in my anger and sadness for awhile -- fixating on how that lovely Zoe could have been seriously hurt, and it would have been all our fault. But then the magic happened. I fetched D2 from Brickell, along with her adorable spaniel Bo, and D1's adorable spaniel Mads. The happiness returned -- like a decanter being filled with fine wine. The Ds and I went out last night to the Falls -- D2 had to return some boots to Macy's. We bought Teavanna tea, and sat and watched little children frolic in a big globe filled with fake snow. We talked about life, about our history, about days to come. And then, this am, I awoke to an unbeliavably gorgeous day -- cool, sunny -- bright like a movie set. And it's D1's 26th birthday! I drank coffee out front, and the three dogs reveled in the cool weather -- trotting happily all over the yard, and playing. We have reservations for our early T Day brunch on Key Biscayne -- D2's boyfriend Jonathan's mother and sister are late additions -- D2 told us their Dad is in Venezuela on business, so I called Lisbeth and insisted she join us. As I age, I believe more and more in the Big Man. It just seems this world is too awesome and intricate to have just happened to be. And I thank Him -- for the challenges, and the contrasts. Steve Miller sang "You know you've got to go through Hell before you get to Heaven," and he's dead on. I'm thankful my "Hell" was most manageable. And I'm thankful for the Heaven all around me.