Last Thursday, Aug. 5, was the one year anniversary of Mike's death. I was surprised at how many folks made note of it.
Every week for some time, I had received a Bible verse and its promise on some colored note paper in a colored envelope. They were from a friend at church and I had got in the habit of looking for them. Her note said last week they were ending now. I certainly don't blame her; that was quite a commitment, but I'm sure I will miss them for a while.
Another church friend sent a very nice card acknowledging we were past all the “firsts”. . . first birthday, anniversary, Christmas, and Easter. She has been a widow for a very long time, so I”m sure she knows what she's talking about.
Today, I had an email from a fraternity brother in the western part of the state who lost his spouse, also of sixty years, in May. He said he thought of our family that day, as did a dear niece in Hastings.
I'm not sure when we started it, or why, but the Big Farmer had been for some time taking his evening meds with a bit of Irish cream and milk. So, I called a family Zoom meeting and told them all to bring their Bailey's. Actually, it's the stuff from Costco, which is much cheaper, and just as good.
Anyway, we all clicked on and eventually, five grands joined us, meaning we had to admire dogs and cats! And, of course, the twins know it's time to show off when we are all hollering at them.
We reminisced about chopping thistles, getting pulled out of the mud, shooting things with BB guns, and sneaking in after curfew using the cellar that led to a tunnel that led to the basement.
Even though it took up a lot of room, I miss the blue recliner in the living room. If Mike had been here, we would have had the Olympics on every night.
And by the way, aren't we proud of Jordan Larson? The sports writer for the Lincoln paper says she is the best volleyball player in the nation and she comes from a C-1 school in a town of less than a thousand population. I had tears when I watched that last kill!
I had tears Thursday eve, too, they were mixed with laughter, and that's okay.
