Spring Is Finally Here

It has been a very long and cold winter. I thought I was going to die during all those back-to-back snowstorms. I am just glad it is all over.

I am determined to enjoy the longer day light hours and the warmer temperatures.

And you know something? I want to have a lot of fun and enjoyment this summer. No drama. No sadness. No worry.

Mother is doing fine. She is still in remission...and is determined to work on her strength and stamina by walking more and more with her new hip.... I am amazed by her steady recovery from the massive stroke at Christmas. She is virtually healed...and is doing GREAT! I am so thankful.

Dad has his final chemo treatment this week. It appears that he will now be in remission. So all we have to do with him is to have his weight to pick back up...and get his stamina going as well.

WHAT ABOUT ME?

You may be wondering how I'm doing.

I think I am doing pretty well. I can hardly believe that it has been nearly five years since Lovey dropped the bomb that changed my life. We are at the three year mark almost since the divorce was final.

These years since have been times of great discovery for me. I learned to rely on me...solely. I've worked at getting to know me better. I've also worked at being a better dad....and a better person in general.

Those of you who read me faithfully will remember that there was a time when I felt that I had no friends. In essence this is the case. I woke up one morning and realized I had been stripped of all the marital friendships I had......I lost all the church friends I had when Lovey outted me as the "husband from hell"... So I had to just reach out all over again and learn to make new friends.

God has blessed these efforts. I mean, I have heard from a number of you through this blog. Personally I have expanded my network of frendships....such that I have just approved my 424th friend on my FACEBOOK page.

Life is just good...

The Sunset of Life

Today something out of the ordinary happened: I was thinking about a man that was the first man to ever utter those three words, "I Love You", to me when I was at my lowest back in the summer from hell -- 1997. I can't remember if I wrote about that period of time or not, but it was a traumatic year for me.

I had been corresponding with him for about six months and we had chatted on the telephone a lot. He lived in Austin, TX....and of course I was here in Washington, DC. It so happened that I was asked to go to Houston, TX on business... When I told him that I was doing that, he dropped everything and drove the 2.5 hours to meet me. We spent a blissful day there and he showed me around.

Although he and I had entertained the thoughts of becoming a couple, he wound up dumping me for Jesus...and telling me that God told him that I would damn his soul to hell....if he kept messing with me. Did not really know my own strength at the time!

I was devestated....and over time we lost touch.

Well, today I ran across some old email from him. I had a bright idea to begin searching FACEBOOK for him and his family. I found entries for his three kids and his wife...but nothing for him. I finally used the information I had located on his family in Facebook to do a greater search on GOOGLE...only to find that he dies in October of last year from an aggressive form of cancer.

I was directed to his obituary...and to some blogs that included pictures of him.

He had certainly changed much in the past 13 years....and the cancer had taken its tool. But that was him.....and I could see the man I knew, staring out from those pictures.

It only reinforces the feeling that those around us are here for only a short time. Then they can be gone in an instant. He was only 52 at his death....with beautiful adult children and a wonderful wife.

So here I sit....getting ready to leave my office for the day -- thinking of this precious man... In my own way grieving for him....for his family.

I am glad we crossed paths.

Life continues....