Sad News and a Hiatus

Me and my Auntie Pat, summer 2009

My Auntie Pat died this week, after a long, hard-fought battle with lung cancer. She was a brave, kind, smart, funny, thoughtful, generous woman, and we all miss her terribly. Their family moved out West when their kids -- my older cousins -- were very young; one daughter suffered from asthma so the air out there was better. And everyone chugged along with their lives. After many years working in nursing and running a successful home health agency, she retired, and she and her husband spent years traveling the country in their RV. After she got sick the first time and lost one lung to cancer, they settled back in Tucson. Coincidentally, my job started sending me there for an annual conference, and that gave me the opportunity to reconnect with them again. I will always be grateful to work for that.

I loved visiting there, and just hanging out with her and sitting in their garden. She and her husband were a pair of gentle old hippies, with lovely glass pieces hanging in the garden, and handmade flutes and boats in the backyard.





I'm also grateful I went out to Arizona to spend Thanksgiving with her and her family this November; no one wanted to say this might be the end, least of all her, but I didn't want to miss a yearly visit, just in case. I'm headed back out again tomorrow for the service, and to see my Arizona family. Texting and Facebook isn't quite enough right now.


Auntie Pat and her great-granddaughter

When we get back, I will be taking the rest of the week off from blogging and commenting. I'm on overload right now, with work and stress and grief, and this is the one extra thing I can give up before I go over the edge. It will only be a week though, because blogging also serves as an outlet for me; I don't want to lose that.

See you all in a week. Be good to yourselves.