It has been a long time since I had the desire to put my thoughts out there! I think it is time to fill in some of the blanks for those of you who care. I have been reflecting, reminiscing, isolating and surviving!
In November 2012 my mother passed and left a huge void for the family. I had come to the prairie in 2010 to spend more time with my mom and siblings and to find a slower pace for me and my furry kidz! I am so grateful for the time that I had with my mom before her passing. The hours of catching up between mom and I was packed full of political opinions, strong convictions and always the warmth of being together.
The holidays of 2012 came and went with a quiet whisper. There was no family gatherings to plan or prepare; just quiet time to reflect back, the move forward with the tasks at hand. There were hundreds of books to inventory, hundreds of collectors plates to box, collectibles of every description dating back to late 1800s. Then there were the photograph books, also dating back to early 1900s. There was local school memorabilia, railroad artifacts and collectibles, county and community historical material and every news article she ever wrote. Oh my, did I mention the greeting cards for all holidays and just because, that she received from the time she was in elementary school from friends and relatives. There are too many collections to even mention. That mother of mine was a multi-faceted woman. My sister, brother and I began the process some time in February 2013 and I am going through photo books still today. The plan was to put the house up for sale in March 2014 and I would head east again. But . . .
My youngest brother died in April 2013 after a long battle with drugs and alcohol. I miss him terribly, but am so grateful he is free of the demons that chased him through this world.
May 2013 brought a weekend when the grandkids and great-grandkids could get together to pick out things to remember "Granny Helen" and before leaving for home a visit to the cemetery for a last farewell. Cold and dreary memorial weekend. So many memories to keep us warm as we shared our favorite stories about "Granny Helen". And there are many!
One of the furry kids, Buddee, passed spring of 2014 and he is missed. What a unique personality this Manx had. He looked like a miniature black bear and sounded like a kitten. Was the biggest snuggler and loved his master, my son Sean, with passion. Buddee was part of our family for 14 years!
July of 2014 found me moving again! I moved from my house to an apartment!! New experience for both Zak and me. My 2 youngest sat me down one day and we had a talk about health, financial and physical and so on, etc. . . . YIKES! was my reply and I started packing. Those youngest boys of mine seem to be my guiding light these days. Hope they have a flashlight! Ha Ha Ha!
Again I find myself in unknown waters and trying to navigate safely. I am the youngest "kid" on this block and that in itself is a new position for me to occupy. Zak has found a whole group of new friends to scratch and pet him. He loves the attention.
I think I am finally home! I am not sure I like being home, but will stick with it if for no other reason than to see what comes next. It is September 2014 and I will soon be 70 years old and when I look back I can hardly believe that was my life. Better to look forward and not give to much thought to any of it.
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