“My parents were married for 55 years. One morning, my mom was going downstairs to make dad breakfast, she had a heart attack and fell. My father picked her up as best he could and almost dragged her into the truck. At full speed, without respecting traffic lights, he drove her to the hospital.
When he arrived, unfortunately she was no longer with us.
During the funeral, my father did not speak; his gaze was lost. He hardly cried.
That night, his children joined him. In an atmosphere of pain and nostalgia, we remembered beautiful anecdotes and he asked my brother, a theologian, to tell him where Mom would be at that moment. My brother began to talk about life after death and guesses as to how and where she would be.
My father listened carefully. Suddenly he asked us to take him to the cemetery.
“Dad!” we replied, “it’s 11 at night, we can’t go to the cemetery right now!”
He raised his voice, and with a glazed look he said: “Don’t argue with me, please don’t argue with the man who just lost his wife of 55 years.”
There was a moment of respectful silence, we didn’t argue anymore. We went to the cemetery. With a flashlight we reached her grave.
My father sat down, prayed, and told his children: “It was 55 years… you know? No one can really talk about true love if haven’t done life with a person.”
He paused and wiped his face.
“She and I, we were together in the good and in the bad.” he continued. “When I changed jobs, we packed up when we sold the house and moved. We shared the joy of seeing our children become parents, together we mourned the departure of loved ones, we prayed together in the waiting room of some hospitals, we supported each other in pain, we hugged one another each day, and we forgave mistakes.”
And then he paused and added, “Children, that’s all gone and I’m happy tonight. Do you know why I’m happy? Because she left before me. She didn’t have to go through the agony and pain of burying me, of being left alone after my departure. I will be the one to go through that, and I thank God for that. I love her so much that I wouldn’t have liked her to suffer…”
When my father finished speaking, my brothers and I had tears streaming down our faces. We hugged him and he comforted us, “It’s okay. We can go home. It’s been a good day.”
That night I understood what true love is. It is more than just romanticism and sex, it’s two people who stand beside one another, who are committed to one another … through all the good and bad that life throws at you.”
My car has been telling me for a few weeks that the oil is due to be changed and I have ignored it thinking I will do it tomorrow anyway today I finally got a round to getting it booked in, only to find that the MOT ran out 5th March.
I called Arnold Clarke to book both the service and MOT in to be told they are both paid for but they can not get me in at either Winsford or Northwich until mid April. If I want to go to Hanley duck they will do it on Saturday so I said yes and I now have to go to the Potteries instead of spending my weekend in me shed making a bath panel, it me own fault I guess?
We played the penultimate game of the season tonight against Turnpike X and after last weeks elation getting a rare point, drawing with third placed Warmingham, White Lion it felt like we lost a point this week because we were unlucky in all five frames we lost and anyone of them would have given us a much needed win. The draw meant we remained bottom, two points a drift so all we can do is try to win our last game against Dishers and hope either Rifleman, Turnpike X or both lose which would mean possibly not finishing bottom of the league on frame difference?
The photo below came up on my laptop background slideshow while Jamie was behind me and I said that photo always reminds me of upsetting both Reagan and Lincoln by dragging them away from that snow when all they wanted to do was play in it for a while, and I just wanted to go get something to eat.
Jamie said straightaway “They probably do not remember that they just remember the photo!” and added “Nothing pisses me off more than thinking about the thousands of hours I spent making their young lives magical and they don’t remember a thing about it…!”
Its true Jamie more than anyone has and still does strive to make their lives the best they can be everyday while I do try I support her in that goal more than I attempt do things on my own and I hope that works and they see that when they are older! That day we travelled from Middlewich with no snow up to Lyme House near Macclesfield where snow was covering the ground so we were not prepared for it, or I wasn’t is probably more truthful so I was cold and hungry after walking around the National Trust exhibition and made them get in to the car which upset and saddened both of them.
Its funny I can’t remember much about the day other than the choir and how I spoiled my family’s fun…
It was Billy’s 5th birthday today and on our daily morning walk I was wondering what Billy will think when I start my new job and I am gone all day everyday? I used to go out to work all day until COVID lockdown happened and after that we have been working from home for the last four years and I doubt Billy would remember what it was like before. Jamie will still be working from home so he won’t be on his own all day but will he start to learn what time I arrive home like Jack used to.
When Jack heard the countdown theme he would sit in the window and wait for me to arrive, he knew that meant I was on my way, maybe Billy will learn the routine too?
Tonight we decided to go to the pub while the kids were at church and have a couple of drinks, something we may be doing from time to time now the kids are becoming self sufficient
It was a lovely way to end the weekend but of course when we turned up on foot sent Reagan walked off because she was expecting to be driven I caught her up and talked to her even if she didn’t want to and I thought I was doing very well until Lincoln caught us up and was immediately told to “piss off” which stunned me and she just waked off on her own.
That basically was the end of the weekend because Reagan had decided it was…?
We are about to have two teenagers in the house for the foreseeable future I can’t wait!
I loved today a lay in till 9am a walk up to Norman’s Wood with Jamie on a beautiful sunny March morning, cleaned the kitchen before FINALLY getting into my shed for a few hours.
While we walked we formulated a an to make the bathroom tolerable for the next 18 months until we can afford to get it redone properly. The plan is paint the ceiling add a row of tiles along the length of the bath paper the rest make a bath panel and re-box in the pipework behind the sink allowing Jamie to paint them the colour she wants in her ideal bathroom? I love the plan because I get to make the panel and box in me shed!
Tonight we sat and watched Taylor Swift Era’s on Disney+ Reagan had been looking forward to the premiere and was I to deny her and I even stayed and watched it too…. it wasn’t as irritating as I thought it might be?
Today was a strange day I worked and visited surgeries and people were so sad to hear I am leaving and it felt very humbling but I was also aware that Jamie had a difficult day at work and needed managing…?
I know Jamie prides herself on delivering exemplary work and being the best she can be and yesterday replied to an email backing one of her team in how she dealt with a difficult scenario and pointed out why she thought it happened and how it could be avoided in the future. This was taken as a slight on how a clinic was being run by the head of that clinic and she strongly defended the clinic which shocked Jamie because she did not intend to offend nor cast any shadow on anyone or any clinic!
It was eventually resolved but not before the head honco himself became involved and this unsettled her because being anonymous unless being praised is what she strives for, and this sent her in to panic mode!
I chose not to bring it up preferring to let her use me as a sounding board to talk it through with and not give opinion, unless asked, just reassure her that it’s bigger in her head than it is in real life.
We made it through the evening walking Billy eating curry and by bedtime all was OK
I am being made to feel very humble every day, now that my impending last day at work has become common knowledge. The people I have endeavoured to help every day for the last 13 years seem genuinely sad to hear I’m leaving and would like to see me and wish me well…
Which is nice….
Tonight my team were 4 nil down and it was looking like another tough night especially for me as captain but I had a plan tonight and stuck to it and it worked. We played really well and fought to win 5 of the next 6 frames to win a point against a good side and it was so great to hear the lads afterwards enjoying the little victory meant a lot to hear!