Sue’s mom, Peggy, died at age 59. That was about 21 years ago. I remember that because our 21 year old daughter had just been born and Sue was glad that her mom got to see the baby and hold her before she died.
Sue missed her mom over these years, and sometimes lamented that she couldn’t just call up her mother and talk. They didn’t get a chance to compare notes on child-rearing, remember the good old days, or gossip about the home-town kids. There were no three or four generation gatherings of the Fay/Freeman/Harper/Nickodemos/?? women.
Our two girls are 21 and 22. They’ve got upcoming college graduations, weddings, and kids of their own to raise (well, not yet on that last one). How will this affect them? Time will tell.
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Dear George~
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your reflections with Sue, Jess, and Val and with those of us who love each of you. You and Sue have raised two lovely, strong, and independent daughters. The girls each have a wonderful focus on what they want for their futures and they have tremendous resilience.
And, as fate would have it, your daughters (and mine) are once again living with us at our homes as they trek closer to the finish line of their college journeys.
As cozy as this living arrangement is, it's probably (mostly) nice to have them near so that you can each draw closer together to support Susie and one another.
Each of you has such a full plate of commitments over the summer; so much to accomplish with work, school, church, chemo, medical appointments, friends, community service, Lakeview, fishing, parties, a home to keep up and so much more. But overshadowing all of this will be your family's united focus, forgive me if I go military on you, but it will be your shared mission to provide support to Sue as she fights this enemy.
How, you ask, will this affect the girls? Well, for starters a lot of crap falls refreshingly to the wayside. Your blog is transparent, and you're laying thoughts out there for friends and family that you may not have done a few weeks ago. Priorities change--certain things that were so important BC suddenly go to the bottom of the list or away forever. Just like that life is different. But, and Mark is the expert on this, when you must go through such a fiery kiln, what comes out is beautiful, has a deeper character, and is ever so much more strong.
George, please remember, as you are trying to navigate your way through this summer that there are troops in reserve. I'm signed up on Jessie's calendar, but let me know if something in particular comes up that you'd like assistance with.
We love you and will support you in any way.
~Cynthia