From a KC Librarian

Just an average guy trying to make sense of his life in the library and beyond.....

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Dinner and Movie with Childhood Friend

We haven't seen each other since our teenage years, but I'm scheduled to meet my best friend from grade school for dinner tonight. It's a shame that we couldn't complete high school together, but our respective parents had life event issues that took priority.

Should be an interesting night.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Approaching a twenty year anniversary I'd love to forget

We all have points in our lives we remember. The situation is so defining and the memory is so vivid, we can never purge that situation from what defines each of us as members of the human race.

My sister and I are approaching a memory point's twenty year anniversary: the day our mom was diagnosed with brain cancer.

I remember working at Godfather's Pizza Sunday night when I received phone call from my Mom's supervisor, who at the time was the Administrative head of Brewster Place, a retirement and full care facility in Topeka. The gentleman told me that mom was involved in a car crash in Junction City, KS. But when my sister, her fiancee, and I arrived at the hospital in JC, we discovered what was truly going on and we discovered what caused Mom's accident.

Because of other circumstances, Mom and I never had the opportunity to grow together in our relationship as mother-son, especially as two adults. I'm at peace with that. Some things in life you have to accept.

But I will remember a couple of things from Mom's final year:

I will never forget Mom's exuberance and radiant smile as my sister walked down the aisle to get married. And, I will always remember how bravely Mom met her terrifying diagnosis, evoking Debbie Reynolds from "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," saying "I ain't down yet!"

I think about you a lot, Mom. Thank you for all you have done.