Happy Together

Today we joyfully mark our 16th wedding anniversary. Congratulations, us!

Twelve-ish Days in Ohio

As readers have probably gleaned from the previous post, we recently experienced a family tragedy in the loss of my paternal grandmother. It was a difficult time for us, but the entire family was able to make it to town and be there together -- for each other and for GG. This would not have been possible without the tremendous help of our coworkers here in NC, who willingly picked up extra shifts and wrangled crazy vacation schedules to cover both Bruce and me. Nor would it have been possible without the love and support of our friends and extended family who blessed us with everything from kind emails at just the right time to dinners out away from the stressful times to extra beds in their homes and so much more. It was so important to both of us that we be in Toledo with our family. We are very thankful to everyone who made that possible.

Elephant

My cousins are on the sofa --
firsts & removeds alike --
my aunts are in the kitchen,
parents, too, I think,
my uncle is on the porch -- grilling --
there is food everywhere
& booze, too
everyone is laughing
because no one wants to cry
this is grandma's house,
but grandma isn't here.

For days we've sat by her hospital bed --
sometimes talking, sometimes not --
nurses have gone back & forth
on the patio, in the lobby
plans have been made & unmade,
questions asked & things left unsaid
everyone is hugging
because no one wants to cry
we're at grandma's house,
but grandma isn't here.

-- kml 7/30/08