5 posts tagged “family”

No, not the dance.  He's been deployed with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq since January 2007.  Christmas 2006 was the 1st Christmas we spent with him since 2003, and we missed this last one too...this was his 3rd deploy.  I can't wait to see him!  I've always had something really (hmph) important going on or was on my way and missed the actual landing and haven't seen him come home to the base yet, so this will be my first trip there. 

Mom says that it's really neat.  There is a small band (Army band) and always lots of people.  He's going to be one of the first planes in, and I saw the first piece of official news about their homecoming today in my Google alert... (82nd Return From Baghdad Made Official). 

Last time, we heard there were delays we were advised about, and we were set to head down (we were staying in Raleigh and had to get down to Fayetteville), but then he ended up coming home early.  That upset my mom, that she wasn't able to be there, but we were more than happy just to have him home. 

So I've arranged for a substitute who speaks English, and have the well-wishes of my department head and principal (it is FCAT week, after all)...this from the guy who said, "The only excuse for missing FCAT week is if Gramma is having twins."  Which is nice to know.  My department head said she would talk to the principal for me, and it went fine.  Apparently he's very pro-military, which serves my own purposes, I guess.  Funny how people's personal opinions can help you out on occasion, but more often than not they screw you over.  I'll just be sure to remember this one. 

But all in all, this is about my brother, family, and us being together after 15 months of hell.  Even though I know you can die just as easily on US soil, it's a load off my shoulders when he's here. 

I can't wait!!!!!!

For a brief moment, anyway.  I have so many things going on right now I might bust, but it's so much fun!  I signed up for martial arts again (I quit about 10 years ago when my dad opened his own school), I'm attending church regularly, teaching is getting better, and my grad classes - well, hey.  Not everything can be perfect :-)

I'm having issues again on a more personal level dealing with a friend of mine, and I hope we can resolve it.  But she's unpredictable and giving me the cold shoulder at the moment for what she considers a betrayal and I consider something I had to do for myself.  I'm hoping if I give it more time the situation will blow over, but I am beginning to get impatient for resolution.  It's only been a week, but as we've been through this before, I really don't know HOW I want it resolved.  It's something that might need some deeper reflection on my part.

On another note, Mom and Dad are on their way back from my uncle's house in Virginia, where they and my other aunt and uncle along with my grandparents were clearing things out and setting aside requests for possessions from all the rest of the family.  Sounds like it was a bit stressful, but Mom was able to get one of my uncle's harmonicas as well as a cane for me (both are things I associate with him very strongly).  It's still hard to believe he's gone. 

Off to karate for me.  Have a good MLK Jr. Day, and don't forget all the great work he did and began to do for this country!!!

I just got finished watching last night's House, M.D.  Now, I'll admit that I'm a crier.  Hallmark cards occasionally do me in standing in the store aisle, and a friend who watched it yesterday said it was kind of heavy and a little sad.  For those who missed it or don't watch it (and that's a sad thing all by itself), it was a man who had a progressive degenerative genetic disease.  He was in a wheelchair with an assistance dog, who you could tell he loved a lot.  He ends up dying, and the dog, too.  The whys are not important.

I think that my friend did not see my own parallels.  See, I have an uncle who is paraplegic and at this moment, slowly dying of cancer.  He has been for months.  Years, maybe.  My mother got a call from her mom who is there now, and was told that he was seen by the home care doctor, and things are beginning to go downhill...she needs to go up and see him. 

I had my last visit this summer.  I hope I'll be able to see him again, soon, but new job, school...blah blah blah.  When I was there, I felt so useless.  I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing.  I tried to help his girlfriend and caretaker as much as I could, but that doesn't help him.  I...just felt lost.  And I almost feel like I already said my goodbyes.  How selfish is that??  I think that's what bothers me most.  I really aught to send him something to cheer him up.  But I'm afraid to call, too.  I honestly don't know what to say, except, "Cancer sucks." 

My uncle's dog

But watching that show...man.  I lost it.  I'm still a little torn up.  When my uncle was in the hospital a few months back, he said that he didn't want to die in a hospital.  When he had his injuries that caused him not to be able to walk almost 30 years ago, he spent MANY months in a hospital, and swore he would never do that again.  He said to my mom when she was up there last, that he wanted to be able to be home, to watch his dog play with his ball. 

Okay, I'm still crying, but whatever.   But even if the show kind of knocked me over, it made me realize that he's not gone yet, and I need to stop being such a pussy about this.  He needs me, my mom needs me, and so will my dad once it's all over.  My grandparents, my cousins...everyone.  I need to actually take part in my family and stop pushing things forward that haven't happened yet.