Midweek Reflections: On Leap Day

‘Idál (Justice), 4 Ayyám-I-Há (Intercalary Days), 168 BE – Wednesday, February 29, 2012 about 6:45 AM Pacific Time

Happy Leap Day

Leap Day the extra day placed in the calendar every four years. I hope no one expects me to leap today because I am not sure I could do that without falling down or stumbling when I landed.

Leap Day the day we do not suspend work unless it falls on a Saturday or Sunday. All though, it is special to Leap Babies (people born on February 29) it is not a holiday. Unless you are born on that day, it is just another day in the year and once it is past, the year is shorter.

Leap Day always falls in a presidential election year because, in America, we only elect a president once every four years. Since this leap day happens to fall on Wednesday, I rolled the trashcan to the curb this morning. The only other thing I am planning for today is a trip to the wound care hospital (my left leg is developing issues again) and the grocery store (I ran out of paper towels).

Happy Birthday

to everyone born today

Midweek Reflections: This is a Leap Year

‘Idál (Justice), 9 Mulk (Dominion), 168 BE – Wednesday, February 15, 2012 about 1:25 PM Pacific Time

This is a leap year and that means there are 29 days in February, which gives 2012 366 days. This is an election year and oddly enough, I am not sick of the political commercials. Normally, in a presidential election year I get sick of the commercial around February 15. Not only am I not sick of them, but I am beginning to find them amusing.

I am not sure why I find the political commercials amusing. Maybe it is because I am 65 years old and, for the first time in my adult life, have some type of health insurance. I can go to the doctor or a specialist, knowing specifically what my co-pay is and not have to worry about how much the entire bill will cost me.

I could find those commercials amusing because I realize just how fragile the human brain and memory really are. My mother has Alzheimer’s disease and short-term memory issues. Until this year, Mom has voted in every presidential election since she was 21, but this year, because of the Alzheimer’s, she will not be voting because she cannot make an informed decision.

A third reason I could find the political commercials amusing is stress. As my mother’s caregiver, I am under a great deal of stress. I learn a long time ago that the more stress I am under the odd my sense of humor becomes. Whatever the reason, this year I find the political commercials amusing.

Leap Year Memories

Kamal (Perfection), 17 Sultan 164 B.E. - Monday, February 3, 2008 about 5:03 PM PST

In leap years my grandparents always paid more attention to national events. Not that they didn't know what was going on nationally in the other years, but leap years were special because of the presidential elections. The thing I remember most about the leaps years going to the polls with my grandparents and waiting for them to vote. Grandma and Grandpa always voted, but my grandfather never tried to tell my grandmother who to vote for.

Another thing I remember about those leap years was that my grandparents never put down any of those running for any office national, state or local. Grandma and Grandpa always discussed the issues not those running for office. Maybe that's why I prefer to discuss the issues myself rather then anything else.