Missyisms: Rough Days

It's been a rough two days for my mother. She's kept in touch with a former neighbor, Mrs. K, for over 30 years and knew her health was failing. Mother called Mrs. K a few weeks ago, but they only spoke for a few minutes because she had just come home after another kemo treatment and was too weak to talk. Mother called again yesterday and heard the bad news; Mrs. K had passed away. I remember going over to the K's house and playing with their two children when I was a child--we even went to a political rally when I was about five. I didn't know Mrs. K as well as Mom, but I am saddened by the news. To make bad news even worse, Mrs. K re-married a few years ago after her first husband died and now the 2nd husband the two kids are in a big fight. Very sad.

Then this morning, while Mother was out her cousin J called with news that their cousin B had passed away after a long illness. Mother was really close to B and was just crushed. And to make this worse J called today, but it turns out B died earlier this week and the funeral was today in Tennessee--too late for Mom to get there. So Mother had the additional upset that none of her cousins had called her. She did finally talk to B's widow and expressed her love and condolences. Mother apologized for not being there, but explained nobody had called. This shocked B's widow, who had expressly asked someone to call Mom and didn't know what went wrong. Later J called again and explained that he'd been out of town and came straight to Tennessee without returning home. He could remember my parent's phone number, but not their area code or city. So he and other cousins were trying to get to her, but in one of those wretched flukes, the cousins that knew how to contact Mom, weren't the cousins that knew there was a problem contacting her! (All because my parent's area code has changed three times, even though they haven't moved.) Mother's disappointed about missing the funeral and being with her extended family, but understands how things can go wrong. (Personally, I think the trip would have been too hard for my parents right now, but they would have gone anyway. I spent a few hours over at their house talking with her as things unfolded.)

Mainly, we're all--mostly Mom--just feeling a bit lost with the loss of our friend and our cousin.

UPDATE: The bad news kept coming. On Sunday we learned that a neighbor of over 30 years has been hit again with cancer. We're told the cancer is in the end stages. She and her family are in our thoughts and prayers.