Don't Wait

Last week my friend's mom passed away. She won't see her daughter walk down the aisle this June, except in spirit. What I've been thinking about is staying up all night talking to her at sleepovers after my friend zonked out. And also promising we'd get together soon every time we bumped into each other at Target or whatever...and never doing it. Life gets crazy...obligations pile up. But I wish I'd had that lunch with her, I really do.

Just two days after my friend's mom died, an old friend of my family also passed away. Frank and his family lived next door to my grandparents when my mom was growing up. His son (who is my godfather) still lives in the house, and my uncle still lives next door in my grandparents' old house. Frank and his wife were dear friends of my grandparents. Now all four of them are gone, which makes me sad. 

I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in that house where my mom grew up back in the 50's and 60's and 70's, when the block was chock full of friends, for the grown ups and the kids. When the neighbors took turns hosting card parties and the ladies met on each others porches on summer mornings for toast and coffee. At the funeral home last night my mom was treated to a story my Grandma never shared, of how my Grandma and a couple other neighbor ladies helped deliver one of Frank's babies when they couldn't get his wife to the hospital in time. People die and their stories die with them. I'm glad someone shared this one. As much as my Grandma and I talked, and as many stories as she told me, I wish there were more. So when I hear one like this, that I've never heard before, it's like finding a little treasure.


Make those phone calls and lunch dates while you can. Share your stories. Someone wants to know. Really. If your kids act bored now, they'll be glad later.

*****

Don't worry, it hasn't been all dark clouds of doom around here. 

Chris has been working on the play room in our basement. He painted, put up some drywall, and put a rug down. Tomorrow we are going to pick up some shelving, then we can really start to put the room together. This is a major project we've been talking about since we moved in, so it is kind of exciting to see it nearing completion. 

A few nights ago some friends and I went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday and my friend Angela's birthday. I haven't laughed so much in a long time, especially when we almost got kicked out for being too loud, even though there were no other diners in the room with us. Also we were at the restaurant in the middle of a snow storm. YES! Another snow storm. After all our snow melted with the Easter weather last week, we are once again living in a winter wonderland. 

Spring is near. Spring is near. Spring is near. Spring is near. Spring is near.