Since I wrote last, my mother-in-law passed away after a short illness. She was 94. If it is possible, death and dying and grief are more in my mind than when I posted in September. My girls spent a lot of time with their Grandmas, both of them, even after they were adults. Mom passed away somewhat unexpectedly. Yes, she was 94, but she was never sick, took care of herself until she was 92. She got pneumonia and was sick with it for 2 weeks. We all took it hard, because we just thought we'd have the status quo. But, we didn't and so we said goodbye. I am so proud that our daughters so willingly shared their love over the years and never stopped.
We spent a lot of time with John's family. My brother-in-law enjoys the family pictures and makes DVDs. He made one for the cousins, all of our kids, last summer and they loved it. He put the old family movies together on another DVD and brought it when they came for the funeral. I think the girls and their cousins watched it 6 times in 4 days. Along with seeing their Dad, aunts and uncles, and other relatives as they were in the 1950's, they were also fascinated by the old technology that captured home movies. I was glad that we spent so much time with the family and each other. I talked to both of our daughters about the holidays, and gained some insight. Up until this year, I did not know what it was like to lose a husband. But, I do know what it is like to lose my Dad. I can help my girls through this first Christmas, on beyond Dad, because I've already been there. So I am planning to support my children through this tough time. They need to know that after the first, there will be another, like a hall of mirrors, endlessly reflecting the glitzy colors of the holidays, until sometime, you don't know what is past or what is now. We'll have some old traditions, some new ones, some foods we always had, some new ones. And we'll get through the holiday season as best we can. Thanks for all of your thoughts and support these last months. I am grateful to my family and friends in the flesh and those who are friends in my universe. Happy Thanksgiving!
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