Count Your Blessings, Part 1
Wow - what a week it has been. This week was camp for me. It's always a difficult, busy and emotional time. This week was no exception.
Greg's mom passed away this week. She had a stroke a couple of months ago but had been doing well. She had lost her sight, but she had moved home. She had complained of a headache on Wednesday night, and her son in law put her to bed. She became disoriented and they took her to hospital. She lost consciousness and never woke up. Greg went to the hospital Wednsday night. He stayed with her all night until 6.30 Thursday morning, when she passed. He was understandably shattered. He called me at camp to let me know and I was literally at abseiling trying to talk down a suicidal child who had climbed up the outside of the tower and was threatening to jump off. I couldn't leave to be with him, I felt awful and like a bad wife.
Once we got the child down, and his carer has picked him up, I went home to be with Greg for awhile. Having both of my parents still - thank god - I can't imagine that kind of loss. I can imagine it changes things forever. He is doing ok - he's still very quiet. He came out and spent Thursday night at camp with me, and didn't leave until late Friday. He seems better today. The funeral is not until next Thursday. She was a lovely woman, and the only one of his family who had been supportive of our marriage. Greg is the youngest of seven in a very catholic family. Divorce is just not done. But that's a whole other story.
Greg has all these amazing stories about them growing up, with 6 boys and 1 girl. And how by the time he came along, she had seen every catastrophe and injury known to man. He once broke both of his arms and collar bones after his brother hosed him off a wall. And she made him wait while she had a cup of tea before she took him to hospital. So that was 7 children,
17 grand children and 3 great grandchildren so far. An amazing legacy.
Greg's mom passed away this week. She had a stroke a couple of months ago but had been doing well. She had lost her sight, but she had moved home. She had complained of a headache on Wednesday night, and her son in law put her to bed. She became disoriented and they took her to hospital. She lost consciousness and never woke up. Greg went to the hospital Wednsday night. He stayed with her all night until 6.30 Thursday morning, when she passed. He was understandably shattered. He called me at camp to let me know and I was literally at abseiling trying to talk down a suicidal child who had climbed up the outside of the tower and was threatening to jump off. I couldn't leave to be with him, I felt awful and like a bad wife.
Once we got the child down, and his carer has picked him up, I went home to be with Greg for awhile. Having both of my parents still - thank god - I can't imagine that kind of loss. I can imagine it changes things forever. He is doing ok - he's still very quiet. He came out and spent Thursday night at camp with me, and didn't leave until late Friday. He seems better today. The funeral is not until next Thursday. She was a lovely woman, and the only one of his family who had been supportive of our marriage. Greg is the youngest of seven in a very catholic family. Divorce is just not done. But that's a whole other story.
Greg has all these amazing stories about them growing up, with 6 boys and 1 girl. And how by the time he came along, she had seen every catastrophe and injury known to man. He once broke both of his arms and collar bones after his brother hosed him off a wall. And she made him wait while she had a cup of tea before she took him to hospital. So that was 7 children,
17 grand children and 3 great grandchildren so far. An amazing legacy.