Yesterday, I checked my mail box and found a Christmas card from my brother. To most people, that would be an unremarkable event, but I've not heard from my brother in about two years.
Even when he became a grandfather for the first time about a year and a half ago I did not hear from him. I only found this one out from our sister, and only in passing. When he had a minor stroke a few months back, I also had to hear the news about it from my sister. In the months since his stroke, I've called up there several times, only to get the answering machine every time. And none of my calls were ever returned.
I'd just about given up, so the card in the mail was a big surprise. Of course, it was in my sister-in-law's handwriting, but that wasn't a surprise, as my brother has always been the kind who lets his wife take care of things like that. There were pictures inside the card as well, and I hardly recognized my brother; he looks old enough to be my father, instead of the actual 13 years that separate us.
I'm figuring his close brush with death has made him think of what's really important in this life.
I'll get them a card on my next day off and send it off right away.
Yesterday, I was looking at the obituaries in my local paper. I read one where the woman was 103 when she died, the same age as what 3 of my grandparents would be. The obit stated that she'd died at the nursing home where she'd lived for several years and that she was a homemaker. Not a retired homemaker, but a homemaker.
I sat down and thought about this. Obviously if she's been living in a nursing home for several years, she hasn't had a home to make for quite some time now, so "retired homemaker" would be more accurate.
But being a homemaker is the job that one can never retire from. There is no pay, no vacation, one is on duty 24/7, and any benefits are totally at the discretion of the "employer".
After reading this obit, I read all the others. For those past retirement age, their occupations were all listed as "retired whatever". All except the homemakers, that is. Every one of them, regardless of how old they were, were listed without the word "retired". Ugh.
My primary lover has told me that her parents intend to come down here for Christmas. They will be spending Christmas with her mother's sister in Atlanta, which is a fairly short drive from here.
So, I'll get another holiday with her. I don't know if I'll meet her parents or not; I'd really prefer not to, but I'll not rock the boat if she really wants me to do so.
However, my gift to her will be given privately, before they arrive.
It is blue to match her eyes. It is a colored stone ring, a sapphire, so she doesn't get any foolish notions in her head about marriage. I'm hoping she will like it.
No comments:
Post a Comment