Wanna Be Startin' Something....

Wow! I've lived a lifetime in a week. Actually, I've lived a couple of lifetimes this past week. My mother's neighbor passed away in her sleep last Thursday morning. They'd been neigbors for over 20 years. She went the way we'd hoped my mother could go; at home and asleep.

Talking to her daughter, I was informed that her heart had gone from 35% function to 15% function from one Tuesday to the next. She was slowly winding down. My brother told me he'd seen her driving just two days before.

That started my day and by early afternoon, my daughter called with news about Michael Jackson. I can't help but feel like a part of my life passed on with him. The soundtrack of my life is set to Michael Jackson music. Oh funny that for every decade of my life, there's at least a couple of Michael Jackson hits.

As if life couldn't get any crazier, my best friend from high school lost her mom Saturday night. She was 90 years old and had cancer but, in some crazy way, I think we still thought we had more time.

Baby Boomers Father's Day

At age 52, I guess I should just be happy to be able to celebrate Father's Day with my dad. It's a lot different type of celebration than it was when I was 12. First off, let me count my abundant blessings that he's still, up and about. He's mobile enough to drive to church and wherever else we're going. Additionally, he's going to travel to visit a 'friend' that lives 3,000 miles a way by himself.

I kinda fuss at him about his goings on but, secretly, I'm bursting with pride when I do my fake complaining about how he just 'rips and runs'. I lost my mom recently and although her body didn't have the strength to do a lot on her own, she could still manage. She could sneak in a 40 mile trip to her favorite gambling spot. I was in just as much in awe of her 'going ons' as his.

My mom was on dialysis, didn't drive, and had generally poor health. But, my momma could out think the best CIA agent on one of her bad days.

It doesn't surprise me that those two got together. They had a lot in common. As I visited with my dad ( a 400 rt day drive) I watched for signs of slowing down. He drives like an old man, he forgets names, there are more pill bottles around the house than I'd like to see. But, he's supposed to slow down at some point.

He did let me pay for lunch but, I noticed he picked a place that where our total bill was the price of one meal at the type of restaurant he would have taken me to eat. And at church he did what he's done since the time I was a newborn; dragged me around to everybody he knew whether they liked him or not so he could show off his 'baby girl'.

I love my dad. I love him as much as I love my mom. She taught me that they won't be around forever so, I'm learning to continue to appreciate the time I've got. As an aging baby boomer, I finally get that it won't be the forever I thought it was going to be when I was a teenager.