We had errands to run today. Grocery store, credit union, Menard’s. A very typical weekend to-do list, we were crossing items off one by one.

He waited in the car while I ran into the credit union. When I returned, we bantered our usual routine about our imaginary team of thieves and how the heist would surely go awry due to this or that. We would sound like idiots to anyone listening, but it entertains us each and every time.

I don’t usually go to the grocery store, but whenever I accompany him, it is almost always without a list and with only a vague sense of what it is we are really after. It’s a good thing we only take a small cart as we end up impulsively buying this and that, unsure of what we will be hungry for later. Today was no exception. We had an idea for dinner but then another thought came to mind so we got ingredients for both. By the time we left, I think we had enough for four different meals, depending on what sounds the most delicious at the time.

Menard’s was much the same. We joke about the oddities you can buy there now. It’s becoming more and more common, but it still strikes me as odd that you can buy ribs, cat food, motor oil, a tent and a chainsaw all in the same place. That wasn’t what we purchased today, but our handful of items would have made for a difficult round of a “name-the-category” party game.

We decided to grab a late lunch out, at a sister branch of the restaurant we met at. It wasn’t our first choice, but lunch out is rare enough for us that we didn’t realize so many other places were closed on Saturdays until later. Sports were on that we had no interest in; the people around us were reminders of how much we do not miss the bar scene; and we came home with more than we ate, but it was nice to be out.

Back home we watched a movie recommended by Jacob and enjoyed the humor. It’s rare for me to find a comedy truly amusing, so this was a treat. Much later, we had pizza, James offering his usual trade of his deep dish crust for the center parts of my piece – a trade we both willingly make each and every time.

He went to bed around 8, typical for most days, not maybe so much on a weekend, but it wasn’t until I was alone that it struck me. Today felt almost normal.

Immunotherapy is the embodiment of “waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Unlike chemotherapy, the side effects are far less predictable – in timing, severity and even what may come. We’ve been told, and we’ve researched enough to know, that everything may appear fine and be far from it, or everything may be fine for a while and then suddenly be not. Everything is a symptom and everything gets reported to the doctor. The diagram and potential side effects they shared with us at our last visit covered maladies from head to toe and everywhere in between. But, we focus on the positives, and today, other than the ongoing coughing that makes James sound like a two-a-day lifer, and his wife’s constant questioning to ensure he is okay and not overtired or in any discomfort – today was indeed, as “normal” as I think we might ever be again.

“The new normal” has been greatly overused in these pandemic years, but the concept surely remains. What was, never will be again, and we must embrace the changes with open hearts and positive mindsets. That’s how I feel today. A good day. In fact, two good ones in a row. Today, James felt as much like his usual self as he has in several days. Two days feels a bit like a streak right now.

And this streak is a blessing larger than I can explain. To hear him laugh, to hear him joke, to banter and snark and wink – that’s the life we know and love. Cancer can’t take that from us. Our new normal might include bi-weekly trips to Ann Arbor, and constant contact with the nursing staff concerning every little bodily change, and it might include frequent naps and keeping the gas tank full “just in case,” but it cannot take the life from our lives. Our “new normal” is going to involved some really crappy days, we know that. But this “new normal” also means that days like today aren’t taken for granted anymore. They are seen and cherished as gifts. Precious gifts.

Blessings, indeed.