Thank You, One and All
I appreciated the kind words and thoughts you've expressed over my family's recent loss.
We have been lucky to have had the help of the local Hospice caregivers to get us through my grandmother's illness, and now, they are helping us to keep going. I can't compliment that organization enough for all the help and support they offered us.
For my family she was the only grandparent we had throughout our lives. Our grandfathers passed before any of us were born, and my dad's mother passed away when I was 2. I'm the second oldest child and my sister, who was 4, and I don't have memories of her.
Since this will be the first holiday season without my grandmother, the Hospice counselors have suggested that we as a family celebrate Thanksgiving in a setting removed from our homes. They suggested having dinner in a public place. Since the holiday is going to be different no matter where we gather to celebrate - the first Thanksgiving ever without my grandmother - they said a total break from tradition often helps people get through the holiday. One of my cousins and I have been calling and visiting different places to try to reserve a time for a large family to get together.
It's been interesting. So far everyone seems intrigued with going to one of the riverboat casinos, but we're still going to check out some of our favorite restaurants, too.
When we first started talking about this suggestion seriously and wondering if it really was the way we wanted to go, it occurred to us that this is going to be the first holiday season without Grandma's sweet potato pies and frybread! Most of us have never developed a liking for pumpkin pie because we've always had her pies for dinner. And, since we are part American Indian, frybread has always been a part of our diet. I think the thought of having to go without some of our favorite foods was a deciding factor in taking the counselors' idea very seriously.
It's going to be something else!
I don't know yet where we will end up going, but we still have few days to arrange things.
I know I'm rambling, but a little break from writing fan fic never hurt anybody, right?
Besides, my fingers are working again. I tried to write a thank you post a day or two after I saw the messages you all very kindly left, but I was making so many typos and misspelling so many words, I had to quit trying and wait until my body wanted to cooperate with my head again.
Again, thank you.
Robert