Tom is in hospital in Nelspruit having his second eye surgery, as I write here now…

So, here we are back in Nelspruit at the Lowveld Eye Institute, where Tom is undergoing his second eye operation to remove the oil used to aid healing after his recent detached-retina surgery. I am sitting in the hospital waiting area, expecting him to be finished in a few hours. If I don’t get a chance to finish today’s post while I’m here, I’ll complete it once we’re back at the Protea by Marriott Nelspruit hotel.

We left Marloth Park at 10:00 am, planning to stop at the local Clicks Pharmacy to find something to help my temporary veneers stay in place. Unfortunately, the only product I could find was a strong denture cream, which hasn’t worked very well. Tomorrow, on our drive back to Marloth Park, we’ll stop at Dr. Singh’s office again to have him reattach the temporary veneers that have loosened. At this point, eating and drinking have become quite a challenge.

I can’t imagine what options I’ll have at the hotel’s buffet tonight, especially since most of the offerings are meat. Hopefully, the kitchen staff can prepare some eggs and maybe grind something else into tiny pieces so I can eat. I still have 24 days until the next stage of this dental process, and then I’ll still have to continue eating soft foods all the way through January 1. This certainly isn’t how I imagined spending the holidays, but sometimes we have to make the best of circumstances beyond our control.

But enough about me! Right now, my thoughts are with Tom and the long wait ahead as we hope this surgery will restore some of the vision in his left eye. He doesn’t complain, as is typical of him, but I know this entire experience has been difficult. Learning to function with only one eye has been challenging, and the blurriness has distorted so much of what he sees. Even familiar surroundings can look different when your vision isn’t working as it should.

With his family history of rampant eye diseases, Tom always suspected that something like this might happen someday. Still, knowing problems could happen doesn’t make facing them any easier. Aging has undoubtedly played a role, especially as he approaches his 74th birthday on December 23.

Let’s face it: no matter how hard we try to take care of ourselves and avoid the ravages of aging, Father Time reminds us we’re not getting any younger. Sometimes, wrinkles seem to appear overnight. Other times, it’s painful joints, unexpected medical issues, or ailments that return just when we thought we’d put them behind us. We can eat carefully, stay as active as we can, and do what we can to maintain our health, but there are no guarantees.

We’ve always believed that life is meant to be lived to the fullest, not spent worrying about what might happen tomorrow. After nearly 14 years of full-time travel, we’ve experienced incredible places, met wonderful people, and created memories we’ll treasure forever. We are grateful for every opportunity we’ve had to explore this beautiful world together.

Of course, that doesn’t mean every day is filled with exciting adventures and carefree moments. Sometimes, life means sitting in a hospital waiting room, worrying about someone you love, or struggling with something as simple as eating a meal. These are the realities we all face from time to time.

Still, we remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be together, facing whatever comes our way as a team. We have much to be thankful for, even on days like this.

And that, dear readers, is precisely how we intend to continue living. Despite temporary setbacks, frustrations, and the inevitable challenges of aging, we’ll keep moving forward with hope, gratitude, and joy in our hearts. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we’ll welcome it as best we can, appreciating each moment we’re blessed to experience together.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 27, 2016: