On Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 9:31 AM, Jan Steinman <Jan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I like your Subject: line, Paul: Opportunities.
>
> You get to see your dad again. You get to see him with your brother. You
> get to see an old friend. You get to wander and take photos.
>
> My marriage is over and I may be losing the dream I've worked on since
> 2004 -- hardly a father dying, but close enough that I can wallow in the
> pain from time to time, and think that things "kinda suck."
>
> I've been reading "When Things Fall Apart," by Pema Chodron, and have
> found it comforting.
>
> I hope things go as well as can be expected. And who knows, if you're
> there with a smile on your face and joy in your heart, his passing might be
> just a bit more peaceful.
Thanks. Sorry to hear about your troubles, Jan. I hope you find a way to
sort things out and move forward.
I will hopefully find out Wednesday how much time the oncologist thinks he
has left. And then my brother and I, and our families, will try to
maximize that time. He's been fighting for a long time, has been through
several surgeries and one near-death experience, and lost Mom in '98 after
almost 50 years of marriage. So, I think it's also important that my
brother and I let him know that as much as we love him, if it's time to go,
then it's OK for him to go.
I did realize, however, that once he dies, I will probably not have a
reason to go back to the town I grew up in. I may make it back to a class
reunion, but they always seem to have them on weekends that don't work for
me. It's a 6-1/2-hour drive, so it's not like I can just pop down for an
afternoon to see the old place. That's one of the reasons I want to get as
many photos as I can during these last trips.
Due to the threat of more ugly Midwestern winter weather this week, my wife
suggested that I take the train down there and pick up a rental car down
there. This is why I married her. I'll take the commuter bus into
Chicago, hop on Amtrak, and then relax for 5-1/2 hours with my iPad and
camera. I'll only have a 45-minute drive from the station to Dad's. So, I
also get to ride a train twice, something else that makes me happy. And
I'm not white-knuckling it down I-57 for 6 hours each way.
> --
>
Paul Braun
Music Junkie
"Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life." -- Harlan Howard
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|