Hi Mom,
Talk about a poor correspondent, it's been just shy of 10 years since I've written to you. My goodness, that's a REALLY long time.
Dad passed in 2016, so I know that the two of you have been enjoying being back together. He had a pretty good run for a few years after you'd left, and I know that he always felt your absence deeply.
Last year was pretty bumpy, I lost Liz to ALS literally days before M and I were flying to NC to visit. I didn't know how ill she was until earlier in the year, I wish I'd gotten to visit one more time. I did get to spend some time with her dear husband Brian, and visited with Cmdr. Kirchner, Anne, and her wonderful three daughters when I went for Liz's Celebration of Life. It was a delight, you'd have loved the mariachi band. Losing her was such an unexpected punch in the gut, I honestly still haven't recovered.
While I was in NC, Stephen passed. I guess you know he wasn't speaking to me for the last few years, he was upset with a tax thing and cut me off. Just what you'd warned us about, R divorced the family, and then you and dad passed, Stephen and I did pretty well for a number of years, and then he dumped me. If I didn't have the Readers I don't know what I'd do.
We lost Mark the day after Christmas last year, the cancer came back after so long. He did hospice at home, and Tris and Fran and I cared for him for his final days. He wasn't comfortable having any non-family members around him, so Tris and I traded off to make sure one of us was always there. Fran was incredible, I don't know how she managed at 89, but she was there for him all the way through. It was terrifying and also one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done, i couldn't NOT be there to help. Marion got here just before he was discharged from the hospital and was a huge comfort to him while he was still aware, and she stayed for several weeks so that we could all grieve and care for each other.
Speaking of your amazing granddaughter, she's getting her Masters in Social Work. School full-time and working almost full-time, I'm still in awe of her. She has a wonderful new cat named George who is giving her a lot of joy. She's been incredibly strong through all the COVID hell of the last few years, and has a good solid group of friends who are her family in WA. I know you're proud of her, she has our love of words and puzzles and is a warm, caring person who also happens to be an unstoppable force. She decides something and makes it work and is a balm to her mother's soul.
We're happy to be back in AZ, S and I, and we love our house and are enjoying keeping it in good condition, despite the costs of everything, which are heinous! Cas is in charge of home security here, we have tried to adopt a dog, but neither one worked out well and both went on to homes that were really well-suited to them. I miss Spot fiercely and would love a dog, but we don't need the upheaval in the family dynamic at this point.
I left the medical field when we left WA. I'm happily working customer service (remotely) and am getting ready to step into an interim supervisor position. I still prefer to be responsible for just my own work, but it's a complex situation in which my company has been bought, and no one really wants to toss our team over to the other company's management folks just yet. We'll see how it goes, I have been assured I can step back if it doesn't work out.
That's a lot of updating, lots has happened, but I think I'll call it a night. I love you, mom, I still talk to you and think of you all the time. Saturdays with my orange Changing Hands coffee mug make me feel close to you, as do lilacs and daisies and stargazer lilies. I hear you and dad singing Thrivo and Lydia the Tattooed lady and feel you whenever I hear a Dixieland Band. Ballet and crossword puzzles and marshmallow peeps, too - a friend just shared that she likes them stale, too, that was a sweet thing to hear! Thanks for being my mom, I love you. LYMY XXXOOO
