(11/16/13). Sorry to be so absent from
our group these weeks. I miss stories about the World Series, the 48, Falling
Upwards, Bill's cruise, church news, Bellingham politics, and everyone's head
shaking laments about the fortunes and foibles of our often kooky religious
world. Can't wait to get back into the grove of reading and thinking with you
all. By the way, Happy Birthday, Tom.
If all goes according to
plan, my 89 year old mother and I fly out Tuesday AM for Florida where she plans
to die. Her health is so precarious that every day for the last 3 weeks I'm
never sure if she's going to be alive when I get to her room (she's in assisted
living at Spring Creek and hates it). Her heart isn't pumping as good as it used
to. I facilitated her farewell to her 84 year old brother and sister in law in
Anacortes (heart rending) and my kids (teary), sent her cat special delivery to
Del Rey Beach, FL (the cat's travel expenses cost 8xs what my mom's
ticket cost), I've sent boxes, consolidated her banking data, became an amateur
pharmacist, could conduct my own medical office visit for patients with
congestive heart failure, and am bracing myself for the dreaded day when I leave
FL probably never to see my mom again. Coping with her...paranoia
about pick pockets...has been taxing to
the max so I'm looking forward to taking my time traveling alone, visiting WA DC
and NYC, and returning to WA just before Christmas. I may take a train across
country so I can read and see America from an Amtrak Vista-dome. All this while
still trying to do the necessary grief work my heart and soul
craves.
I've downloaded videos and
books on my new tablet, packed three paperbacks (including A Severe
Mercy by Sheldon VanAuken) for non digital entertainment, and am still
getting the hang of no keyboard or printer. I'm packing short sleeve shirts for
FL and sweaters for NY. I'm kissing my plant based diet goodbye for the time
being and looking forward to the day when I can illustrate Ecclesiastes,
complete spiritual memoirs, and engage in some sort of ministry in January. If
there's any silver lining in this, I'm able to juggle these tasks as a
relatively alert 61 year old. Can't imagine what widowers in their 80s or 90s
would do.
Blessings on you all. I'll
have email access and my phone (if I don't get pick pocketed in
Manhattan).
~~Erik
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