One year ago...the last time all seven of us were OK just being the seven of us.
It was a Sunday morning. I affected my fake Irish accent (quite well I might add) and spent the day saying 'Top o' da mornin'. Darby O'Gill was on and I was watching it with Mom before we decided we had to get out to Betty's.
So we did. We drove out there and had a great day. We were going to celebrate Mom's birthday...her 66th. It was a nice day to go. Not a lot of snow.
It was also the day I'd rediscover KFC. See...for 12 years in a show of solidarity to Debi...I'd vowed not to eat KFC as she asked me to. I'm sure there's some humanitarian, ASPCA type reason for it...probably because they do genetic alteration to make each piece of chicken taste like a slice of heaven. I don't know...but I do know that on this day my Dad introduced me to the KFC bowl and well...I fell in love. How can any man resist boneless chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and gravy all mixed together. It's like 4 great tastes that = awesome. I'm sure this means that someday I'm going to mutate into a protoplasmic blob of stay puft marshmallow proportions...but what a way to go.
I digress
My parents and I stopped on the way to Betty's to grab a quick bite...and we got there. We celebrated Mom's birthday. None of us REALLY realized how tired she looked. She was always kind of a 'sleeper'...falling asleep watching TV, listening to music, playing Xbox, reciting the Gettysburg address in spanglish. Mom had a habit of napping and I know at least for me...I didn't think much of it.
I took a lot of pictures. I had gotten a camera for Christmas 2012 and decided that at every family event where the kids were...I'd take pictures as I had planned to give my sister and Bernie a 'yearbook' of each of the kids. Pictures of them growing up because...well...I guess because they're like my favorite subjects to shoot. Actually...I think I was doing it because I was being led. We had NO idea at this point what the future was going to bring.
It was a great day. The seven of us were just happy. Betty, Bernie, the Kids, Dad, Mom and I...we were celebrating another year. It'd been a tough one too. My divorce kinda rippled through the family...and in some ways this was also about us touching base and remembering what was most important to us all.
That life has a way of 'moving on'.
Why I'm writing today instead of tomorrow (her real birthday) is that this is the last day. The last time the seven of us would be together without a hint of fear. While the illness that would take Mom was already in her system...there were no symptoms this day (outside of her being really tired which we usually attributed to her usual sleepiness/arthritis/need to go to KFC to get ANOTHER bowl (which we did)) to tell us that something was wrong. We laughed, and played. Betty was down a few dress sizes and so we took some pictures. The kids were just...well...the kids. Bunny was enjoying running around and peeing on Betty's carpet and we were just laughing. We even all watched church together as that morning was a great message.
Then when Dad and I realized Mom had had enough (and we REALLY wanted another bowl)...we packed up and came home together. Mom mostly slept but it was a good day.
Weeks later...on Easter...was the start. Mom had gone jaundiced on Good Friday and while we still didn't have the diagnosis...we were all a little fearful of what that could mean. It was the start of four months of questions, fear and ultimately loss. A loss that to this day and for many to come has come to define the days that follow.
But on this day one year ago...March 17, 2013...we celebrated not only the luck o' the Irish...but the life and love of a beautiful woman who while no saint...was certainly a powerhouse of awesome the likes of which will never be seen again.
There hasn't been a day that goes by I don't think about you Mommy. I know in a lot of ways you're still here. Your grand-daughter has your laugh...and mischievous grin before she does something bad. Your grandson has your kindness and heart for family and loyalty. Your daughter has your passion and fire. I have your...well...I like to think I have your sense of justice, kindness and loyalty too. Dad has your heart still...and he's not letting it go anywhere anytime soon. We all have our memories.
In a lot of ways I think of this day as the 'new years eve' of last year...because it seems like such a turning point before the darkness that came.
Maybe I'm just over-dramatic.
I do know one thing I am...
Hungry for one of those KFC bowls...is 7:40 too early for a run you think?
Thanks for reading.
So we did. We drove out there and had a great day. We were going to celebrate Mom's birthday...her 66th. It was a nice day to go. Not a lot of snow.
It was also the day I'd rediscover KFC. See...for 12 years in a show of solidarity to Debi...I'd vowed not to eat KFC as she asked me to. I'm sure there's some humanitarian, ASPCA type reason for it...probably because they do genetic alteration to make each piece of chicken taste like a slice of heaven. I don't know...but I do know that on this day my Dad introduced me to the KFC bowl and well...I fell in love. How can any man resist boneless chicken, mashed potatoes, corn and gravy all mixed together. It's like 4 great tastes that = awesome. I'm sure this means that someday I'm going to mutate into a protoplasmic blob of stay puft marshmallow proportions...but what a way to go.
I digress
My parents and I stopped on the way to Betty's to grab a quick bite...and we got there. We celebrated Mom's birthday. None of us REALLY realized how tired she looked. She was always kind of a 'sleeper'...falling asleep watching TV, listening to music, playing Xbox, reciting the Gettysburg address in spanglish. Mom had a habit of napping and I know at least for me...I didn't think much of it.
I took a lot of pictures. I had gotten a camera for Christmas 2012 and decided that at every family event where the kids were...I'd take pictures as I had planned to give my sister and Bernie a 'yearbook' of each of the kids. Pictures of them growing up because...well...I guess because they're like my favorite subjects to shoot. Actually...I think I was doing it because I was being led. We had NO idea at this point what the future was going to bring.
It was a great day. The seven of us were just happy. Betty, Bernie, the Kids, Dad, Mom and I...we were celebrating another year. It'd been a tough one too. My divorce kinda rippled through the family...and in some ways this was also about us touching base and remembering what was most important to us all.
That life has a way of 'moving on'.
Why I'm writing today instead of tomorrow (her real birthday) is that this is the last day. The last time the seven of us would be together without a hint of fear. While the illness that would take Mom was already in her system...there were no symptoms this day (outside of her being really tired which we usually attributed to her usual sleepiness/arthritis/need to go to KFC to get ANOTHER bowl (which we did)) to tell us that something was wrong. We laughed, and played. Betty was down a few dress sizes and so we took some pictures. The kids were just...well...the kids. Bunny was enjoying running around and peeing on Betty's carpet and we were just laughing. We even all watched church together as that morning was a great message.
Then when Dad and I realized Mom had had enough (and we REALLY wanted another bowl)...we packed up and came home together. Mom mostly slept but it was a good day.
Weeks later...on Easter...was the start. Mom had gone jaundiced on Good Friday and while we still didn't have the diagnosis...we were all a little fearful of what that could mean. It was the start of four months of questions, fear and ultimately loss. A loss that to this day and for many to come has come to define the days that follow.
But on this day one year ago...March 17, 2013...we celebrated not only the luck o' the Irish...but the life and love of a beautiful woman who while no saint...was certainly a powerhouse of awesome the likes of which will never be seen again.
There hasn't been a day that goes by I don't think about you Mommy. I know in a lot of ways you're still here. Your grand-daughter has your laugh...and mischievous grin before she does something bad. Your grandson has your kindness and heart for family and loyalty. Your daughter has your passion and fire. I have your...well...I like to think I have your sense of justice, kindness and loyalty too. Dad has your heart still...and he's not letting it go anywhere anytime soon. We all have our memories.
In a lot of ways I think of this day as the 'new years eve' of last year...because it seems like such a turning point before the darkness that came.
Maybe I'm just over-dramatic.
I do know one thing I am...
Hungry for one of those KFC bowls...is 7:40 too early for a run you think?
Thanks for reading.
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