To say that the last month has sucked would be both an understatement and not completely the truth.
Sucked: Bake (my step-dad) passed away on Thursday January 12, 2012 at 4:32pm.
Not so bad: I was there. I got to spend part of his last night/morning just the two of us. I read to him. I slept with my hand on his shoulder. BUT I was not alone at the last moments.
(God moment--really not sucky: When my mom and I ran out of words to say, we prayed too many Our Father's and Hail Mary's to count. There has always been great comfort for me in those prayers, but especially the Hail Mary, and I wish I had a better word to describe those last few moments. But I was comforted by the friends that were with us, and by knowing that the end was near.)
Sucked: I wasn't strong enough to face this battle without my brother.
Really not sucky: He came home. He extended his stay as far as he possibly could. We laughed and remembered together.
Sucked: He left in the morning on Thursday January 12.
Not so bad: While he wasn't here, I wasn't alone. I have friends that I have always thought of as sisters, and they carried me just the way I needed. I learned how to ask for things that I needed, even if they are as simple as a diet coke or as complex as, "yes, I need you to be here. But I have no idea what to ask you to do for me."
So here is to starting a new chapter with a heavy, but joyful heart.
As you listen to the State of the Union tomorrow evening, think of Bake and all of the people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease when President Obama speaks about National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA). Remember what this devastating disease does to families. Say a prayer of thanksgiving for all the people that have the strength and heart to be caregivers, nurses, and assistants.
And wear your crazy plaids, polka dots, checks, stripes..... in purple!
