I awoke in the silvery light of a late December pre-dawn and thought…
‘that’s a good way to start a Christmas letter!’ So when I got up three hours later, that’s what I did.
2018 was a year in which the importance of family was front and center, screaming in your face like a triggered snowflake in a pussyhat.
It actually started a few weeks before the year began, when my 19 year old nephew was diagnosed with Leukemia. By mid January, everyone in the family was sporting matching T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase Woody Strong to show our love and support.
Woody is doing great and his prognosis is for a full recovery! He will be back in school next semester, a year ahead of schedule.
No sooner was Woody back with us than my Dad did a faceplant and broke his neck. Most old guys just break their hips but not Dad. He was always an overachiever. He didn’t break his spinal cord but he pulverized some vertebrae. AS the Doogie Howser-like surgeon who stabilized his neck told us, “If a young person suffered this injury, we’d expect a full recovery but your Dad is a million years old. We have no idea how far he’ll recover.” He admitted to us months later that he hadn’t expected Dad to last the night.
Eight months later, after every member of the family seized the opportunity to step up with their unique skill sets, Mom and Dad are now living the life of Riley in an absolutely gorgeous Senior Living community, their house is being made ready for market and Dad can now walk several hundred yards with a walker. His fine motor skills are slower to return but I expect he’ll be playing Gin Rummy by next July, when he turns 92.
In between helping out those who need it, we’ve been having the time of our lives playing with the grandkids and are eagerly anticipating the birth of #5 next spring!
Jay and I returned to Montana in August for the first time in decades. It was the best vacation ever, seeing all our old friends again.
Oh yeah; Jay retired from coaching. He is now working as an advance scout for the San Antonio Spurs. NBA, Baby!
Happy Christmas to all and to all, a Goodnight!