Life, Death and the Holidays

Somehow the holidays always seem to sneak up on me. I know I'm not alone in this observation. However, for our family, this holiday season is drastically different.

Last August, we lost my mother. After almost 91 years, her heart, mind and body finally decided enough was enough and she joined her brother, parents and my father in Heaven. While I know she is in a better place, I and my family miss her dearly. Someone posted on Facebook a few days ago a little sentiment, "I wish there were visiting hours in Heaven." Today, I wished that more than anything. Today wasn't anything special. It was just another day with Thanksgiving looming in the almost immediate future. I'm not cooking this year. Neither is my aunt - my mother's older sister. We have chosen to eat out this Thanksgiving. Any other Thanksgiving, I would have regarded this as sacrilege. My aunt was concerned that we would be insulted by the idea. Not this year.

Shortly after Mom's passing, we acquired a stray cat. The plan was to find her owners or turn her over to the Humane Society. After two months, no one came forward to claim her and we had become attached. We named her Rosie. Nosie Rosie would be a better fit. She is in everything. She's no longer a kitten; the vet put her at about a year old. Rosie has a personality that is all diva, and Rocky, our older male cat, isn't so sure he likes the idea. However, they have learned to like each other and sometimes sleep together on Big Jack's recliner or my lap. I wish Mom were alive to see them. Rosie would have had Mom laughing until she cried.

Big Jack's mental and physical health issues are taking their toll on all of us. We've made adjustments in his medicines for his psychiatric problems and now his kidneys are rebelling against him. Since last spring, he has had a total of 7 kidney stones. This latest one had to be surgically removed through his back. The thing was the size of a golf ball and the doctor believes there may still be more. Needless to say, Jack is in agony and I'm exhausted.

The pressure of the holidays is always the same. However, this year, we will be absent from a lot of the holiday traditions. We haven't really decided if we want to decorate for Christmas. I don't think I'll be baking cookies or anything else. Maybe we'll try being normal next year.