Father's Day

Father's Day, 2009 -- another First in the Year of Firsts. Somehow I did get through Mother's Day. Naturally, there were those moments, but this Father's Day appears as if it'll be really hard. (I have yet to wrap my head around "Mother." I'm afraid that perhaps the pain is just too great to even "go there" and process what that truly means.) That, in no way, diminishes the love that was and is felt for both of them. I guess it's just different, the father-son love and the mother-son love, both equal, yet both different. A day doesn't go by yet when I don't think about both of them and miss them so horribly. I guess it's also the Year of Grief, but I don't want to limit it to just a year either....just in case. For Mother's Day, I created a memorial page for Mother at the American Stroke Association. People visiting that page can make donations in her memory. (Search "Helen Yoshiko Okazaki). I thought of doing the same for Dad for Father's Day at the American Lung Association; however, it seemed more fitting to honor him with a donation to "Friends of Hospice" of the North Penn Visiting Nurses Association. So, this afternoon I prepared my donation and will mail it out on the way home from work. (If anyone cares to make a donation, Google "North Penn Visiting Nurses Association" and there will be information about making a donation to "Friends of Hospice." 100% of the donations goes towards hospice care.) NPVNA hospice care, especially Dad's hospice nurse Cherie, were invaluable to Dad's care and to all of us.

It's been quite a while since I've added to this blog. We're still in unpacking mode at home and, I have to admit, that when we/I get home, unpacking a box is the last thing I want to face. And yet, it makes me a little nuts NOT to be unpacked. We LOVE the house though and slowly we'll get our stamp on the house. I just wish that we had more time to work on it. Right now, unpacking is our biggest goal and getting some other things done on the house. We have a contractor starting to work on minor "improvements" which is nice to have that started. This week the Sleep Comfort bed was delivered and even though we are only on Night #2, it's such a great bed. I'm still figuring out my number.

Jean and I continue to talk on the phone every available evening. What would we do without each other? It's hard to believe that it's just her and me now. It's not as if we are all alone, we both have such incredible partners in life, but still.......!The thought of facing Father's Day is difficult. The commercials on TV, the print ads, the emails about Father's Day...just serves as a reminder. Not that I ever want to forget, but it does make it hard to just get through it all.

We sold the other house! It was on the market for FIVE days and we not only received an offer, which we accepted, but a backup offer, too. Naturally, the greedy side comes out and says "We asked too litttle," but truth be told, I think that we were asking a fair price and it was just Mother and Dad continuing to watch over us. Plus, I have to give partial credit to St. Joseph who is buried under the For Sale sign. I never heard of St. Joseph, but apparently, he is the patron saint of Real Estate or something like that. (Google "Bury St. Joseph")