Christmas 2007

This Christmas was bittersweet. It was the first Christmas without my wife and my children and my grandchildren without her. I was initially not going to travel back home from Florida. It would be a 3000 mile round trip. Several things caused me to go. First there was Thanksgiving and I read my daughter's blog where she said she missed her father. My son spent Thanksgiving week with me and the day he left, I felt sad and alone. I did not want that for Christmas. My elder daughter's car was aging and a little small for three children. My son called me and suggested I help with a car for her. That night I decided that if she wanted her mothers car I would give it to her. I needed to be home to do the proper paper transactions. Most of all, I wanted to see them all. I took the car to the dealer and had all the necessary work completed. I am so glad the car is staying in the family. I do not need two cars and I did not want to sell it to a stranger.

I attended all the family functions and had great food everywhere I went. The giving of gifts to my family brought me great pleasure. I was chilly in my elder daughter's home Christmas night and my son in law loaned me a sweatshirt which I wore home and also the first day on the road back to Florida. It's great and has big letters on the back proclaiming MAYFLOWER II and the word CREW underneath. Really neat!

I finally got to meet my son's girlfriend. I now know why everyone in the family likes her. She is warm and has a ready smile a great sense of humor and she is quick to laugh.

I had a difficult time in the house. Everywhere I looked I saw Marie. I would get in bed and look at her pillow and see her, and then I could not sleep. The memories of 39 years in our home haunt me.

I was on the road heading south at 7 AM December 26Th and did not stop until Smithfield, NC. I was back to the condo early evening on the 27Th.

I received several thoughtful messages wishing that I find peace during this time of year. They were all comforting.