It’s been a nice sweetbitter day.. i say sweetbitter because it’s diffidently on the brighter side of bitter sweet. The day began with a trip to Williamstown with my freinds Sandy and Michael. d Sandy’s father and my good freind Gunter 87th birthday was today . Gunter’s living in a an assisted living facility for the past six months or so after moving here from the Orcas island in Washington state. Sandy, Gunter an his wife Ellen’s house was on the next street over from us in Houston. I waited at the same bus stop with sandy for countless hot Houston years. In high school we got to be good freinds. Her’s was the local cool hang out house. Her parents were cool too.. we talked to them when we trouble talking to our own folks.. everyone needs that sort of non-parental adult counseling from time to time..
When Sandy moved up to Vermont, I used to come see her here.. it was during one of those trips that I learned of IBM up here.. and the rest is history.. It was great seeing Gunter.. he had a stroke a couple of years back and can’t get around too well. His speech is slowed and his hearing is a bit off..which was tough to see.. but he’s as sharp as a tack in there. While we visited her got several happy birthday calls.. some in English some in German and he switched back and forth easily . It was great catching up with him..
on the way back fro Gunter’s I had to ride in the back of Sandy and Micheal’s car.. under some insulation.. Cozy and warm.!
Later in the day we had a gathering at our house of ‘The Club’ .. The three families are not really an official group, I call us that because each of us has lost a child. .. One book I read said it is the club with teh highest dues.. Very sad but very true. h
Jim and Sue’s sun Dylan died last April. He was a great friend to both Sam and Gabe.. long time readers here know his story well.. Jim and Sue were here with their son Dustin daughter Dani and her freind Ali. Pete and Carols’ son Zeke died only 5 weeks ago. Like Dylan, Zeke wen to CVU high schoo. Zeke’s twin brother Eben and his sister Sami were here with us too. We spent about 4 hours just hanging out .. laughing and talking.. i don’t recall a single tear shed.. which was not what I expected.. but was just fine. We talked about our kids, living and not.. our experience in this strange new world of grieving. It was amazingly upbeat, we shared storied, looked at pictures . ate and drank..I think being each others company allowed us to open up in ways we might not be able to with folks in different circumstance .
Pete. Carol and family were doing remarkably well for the short time since Zeke’s passing. I was surprised to see them so willing to be out and about so soon,,, but as I told someone shortly after Sam’s death. we had to be somewhere all the time.. why not here ?!?!
OK.. it’s late and I need to sleep.. more later.
nite all, nite sam
-me