It has been more than a year.... a not at all good year. If anyone ever tells you that 6 days on a ventilator(not knowing which way the results would go for 2.5 days) and 4 weeks in rehab is good way to diet, don't you believe them. February of 2012 was a very scary time - for me and for all of my family. Details will take many future blog-sections; still not ready for all of it. BTW, the diet does work, you just would NOT like it. You would think that this kind of experience is the worst a single year could bring but it was not.
As you may know from prior sections I have been 1/8 of a Brady Bunch since 1970. My daughter and two sons and Ron and his 3 daughters merged in September of that year. All of us together, building a life together and lots of remodeling is what we probably all remember of that early time. Combined we provided 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades to our local school and a freshman to the District High School. Many years went by; kids growing and going. Our oldest, Ron's daughter Cooky, had her first bout with breast cancer when she was 40 and had 3 young children. The story of her battle would take a whole book. But for now, let me say she was a courageous, determined, risk-taking fighter from day 1 of the battle. In June of 2012 she began the last battle in hospice at home, where she wanted to be, and where she stayed until the battle ended on September 12, 2012. The reality is our family will never really be whole again. Her loss weighs heavy on her siblings and on us. I watch my husband and know his life will never be quite the same again. Their unique relationship and the time they spent together will always be with him and he lives with this loss daily.
So here we are in April of 2013. Finally it is time to try to bring all the strands of life back together. I am grateful to be alive and healthy and hope to this time to good advantage. It is time to go back to the things I have loved to do and put my energy into further examining the genealogy of our families. That can be time consuming, exciting and, oh, so frustrating. But I really do recommend it. I have a special piece of advice for all of you out there in web-land who have grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles. Start asking questions of all those folks.... where did they come from, where did their parents come, what were their parents, aunts, uncles, cousins names? Find old family pictures. Have those who knew the people in the pictures write the names on a copy of the picture with special pens. And, oh, yes, start scanning, scanning, scanning.
It is time again to share some of the good things that can come along in a life of retirement. As those of you who have been with me for awhile know this did not have an easy start for me. But moving forward is a part of growing now matter what age you are -- even when are the eldest remaining and have no one left to answer those important questions.
See you soon. Hope you will come back looking for more and leave your comments.
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