It was a lovely Christmas morning. Me, my SisterDears and brothers were joyfully opening our gifts. Later in the day we were having a large family gathering, my favorite kind of Christmas! Nana Gert, Auntie Jeanne and her family were coming to have Christmas dinner with us. I had crocheted a peach-colored scarf and hat for Nana and I couldn’t wait for her to open it!! It was going to be a most wonderful Christmas Day!
I had just opened a gift. It was a brand new 45 that I’d been wanting so badly, Precious and Few by Climax.
The phone rang and MotherDear answered. I heard the most mournful sound come from her mouth. Nana Gert had died during the night at Auntie Jeanne’s. She had fallen asleep in the rocking chair, knitting a last minute gift for somebody. The doctor said she had likely fallen asleep and had a stroke during the night. She never knew anything.
The rest of that day is just a blur, the only other thing I remember from that day is that I went downstairs to the basement and spent the entire day and long into the night crying my heart out. I played that 45 over and over and over again. I literally wore it out, remembering my Nana and missing her so badly it was physically painful.
It was the first time in my life that I realized that I had to treasure each moment with somebody who I love. From that moment, I am always mindful that it might be my last opportunity to share time with them. Because none of ever knows when the last moment in time may come.
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Visit here if you’d like to do your own Message in a Bottle, you do not have to be tagged. I chose to combine mine with a post because Nana Gert was my inspiration for my Message.
I personally do not know anybody who has actually had an amicable divorce, as I did. Mr. X and I remain friends, albeit distant (we don’t even live in the same state anymore). In fact, my parents still miss him, especially my Dad.
After dating 5 years, I married my high school sweetheart. We certainly thought it would be As the years passed, we did less and less together, each following our own hobbies and pastimes. Soon, we even developed separate friends. Eventually we began taking separate vacations. During those last few years, we essentially shared morning coffee and the occasional supper.
Thirteen years ago, after 21 years of marriage, we decided to go our separate ways. We spent our last night together crying and hugging each other all through the night. Loving each other was never our problem. We did not hire attorneys. We did not fight over possessions. Because we were not fortunate enough to be able to have children, there was no child-custody issue. We harbored no ill-will towards the other. Total cost of our divorce? $120.00.
We each hugged and said goodbye to our oldest and dearest friend outside the courthouse. We wished each other health and happiness. It remains the single hardest thing I have ever done.
Mr. X has since remarried, this time to someone who shares many of his interests. He is now “Grandpa” to his step-daughter’s son. He is happy.
While I have remained single, I am quite content with my life. I’m not saying that I will never remarry, but I rather doubt it. I’ve gotten very ’settled’ and quite used to having everything exactly as I like it.
It’s Official SisterDears - Should the question arise regarding my age, I am now and forevermore ‘mumblety-three’. I was reading Mrs. Drudge’s blog, thought it was perfectly delightful and I am borrowing stealing it. Thank you, Mrs. Drudge. It’s perfect.
I have a new book on my ‘must read’ list and it has gone to the top of the list - Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair. Now, I ask you, how could I resist a title like that?
Please don’t buy me anything for Christmas this year. I don’t need anything and I don’t have anywhere to put all the stuff I already have. I’ve culled most of my books down to the ones that I know I will re-read, and most of my baskets are hiding in cabinets. Why do we accumulate so much stuff? I told the parents not to buy me anything this year because with the new business not off the ground (and by that I mean I’m not making any money yet and I’m not sure I won’t run out of money before it ever does) I just can’t spend any more than I absolutely have to, to which MotherDear replied, “I already have, but you don’t have to buy us anything”. I hate that. Why can’t we agree to just pick up a little bobble that says “I love you” without spending so much money? That is the part of Christmas I don’t much care for… I’d rather spend time together.
Let’s bake cookies, sit in front of a crackling fire, listen to the piano or a lovely music CD, share a meal and sip wine together.
Something for free? Can this be? I just discovered music.aol.com. It’s in Beta. It’s free - free of cost and free of log in (at least for most areas). It certainly sounds too good to be true, but I am listening to Josh Groban’s Noel Christmas CD. The entire CD. Seriously.
There are all sorts of complete CD’s. Everything you can imagine and anything you’d want including Pop, Country, Rat Pack, Rock, Jazz… you name it. There are also Live Concerts, Music Videos, Radio, News, Downloads, Blogs and RSS feeds. Of course, they offer them for sale, but listening is free.
This is marvelous surprise. Tell everyone. Right now.
About Me The very best job I could ever imagine is one that would pay me to think… the currency would be wine, preferably big reds!
I am the oldest of eight (four of each) and the sisterdears are my very best friends. We all enjoy wine, music and family. We share many other common interests and have many more differences, but that is the Spice of Life.
I have been self-employed for a bit more than 20 years and have just started my second business. Yipes! It seemed easier and less scarier the first go-round.
I am divorced and I have two absolutely adorable gray cats. More than a fair trade, if you ask me
Just after my divorce, while I was mid-panic attick prior to a flight to visit my family up north, my very nice, very smart old country doctor asked me how I had coped with panic attacks in the past. I told him “I clean everything in sight and have a glass or two of red wine”. He laughed and said to me “Well, you are an international traveler and it’s Cocktail Hour somewhere”. I have tailored his remark to suit me. “It’s Wine-thirty somewhere”.
The rest of that day is just a blur, the only other thing I remember from that day is that I went downstairs to the basement and spent the entire day and long into the night crying my heart out. I played that 45 over and over and over again. I literally wore it out, remembering my Nana and missing her so badly it was physically painful.
The very best job I could ever imagine is one that would pay me to think… and the currency would be wine!
