My chosen hour in Lawrence was roughly between 1:30 and 2:30 PM, at home.

I am a mother of two boys, one 24 and one 19. I live in Lawrence with my younger son. My husband is in Albuquerque where his job is located. My older son is in Texas

As I was about to unpack my suitcase after last week’s trip to Albuquerque to visit my husband, my 19-year-old son returned home from his job. He looked tired after two-and-a-half hours at work and two 20-minute T-Lift para-transit rides. After sharing a few words about his day he retreated to his room where he would nap for a few hours. Being autistic and having insulin resistance syndrome make him have to work hard just to cope with everyday life; those conditions cause him to have irregular sleep patterns. A nap is his natural answer to these problems. Still, when he is awake he gives me joy with his sense of humor and his loving hugs, plus he is a wonderful companion on those long drives to Albuerquerque.

As soon as I sat down to read more of the newspaper, picking up where I left off this morning, I heard my older son’s instant message chimes. He lives in Lubbock, Texas but is looking for a job in Albuquerque. We IMed for quite a while, our give and take covering his progress in that endeavor, his new puppy, and a few recent events happening with his younger brother and me. Eddie is a loving boy and communication with him is a pleasure that I look forward to every day.

When Eddie and I finally typed “Bye'” my dog, Zoe was desperate to go out so we took a walk up the hill towards the end of Clinton Parkway, all the way to the round-about and back. In addition to getting much needed exercise, these walks are my opportunities to think things over, analyze past events, plan ahead. I think about how lucky I am to have this family. Although spread over the douthwest, we are still very much connected.