We'll see you when we meet again
I just spent 44 minutes, 23 seconds on the phone with my dad. I started to call him Saturday but just couldn't. I started to call him yesterday after work but just couldn't. Today it finally worked. I got home, changed clothes and pressed the button before I could close the phone again. He was surprised to say the least. That's the longest I'ved talked to him on the phone in a good 6 months. (Granted, about 2, maybe 2 1/2 of those months I didn't talk to him at all) He mentioned the whole situation with Jason a couple of times and I quickly changed the subject. I hope he got the hint that I don't want to talk about it. He asked me if I was seeing anyone. Ha! No. I'm not. He, on the other hand, kicked his girlfriend of about 3 years I think out just under 3 months ago. And now he's dating 3 women. And smoking as much as ever, if not more. I really wish he would quit, but that's for another post. He was out allllll day/night Sunday with a group of friends. He smoked 4 packs of cigarettes. Yes, he used to smoke 5 packs a day and had cut down to 2-3 a day . . . but 4 packs in one day??? He goes to the doctor regularly and the doctor still says that you can't even tell he's a smoker, but I can't help but think of all of the health risks there are with smoking. Keep in mind he's been smoking since he was 15. He'll be 50 in April. Those aren't terribly good odds.
Anyway.
Joe's service is tomorrow evening. I have to be at work at 4. Work is awesome (wow, I have never said that) and got coverage for the entire store from 5-8 so anyone that wants to go can go. Everyone is to be at the church at 6 and service will start at 630. Then I have to go back to work and close the store. That should just be a freakin blast. It's going to be so hard to face his parents and sister again. Frank and Cathy came in the store yesterday and when I realized that they were Joe's parents I cried with his mom. They're such nice people and amazingly strong. I see where Joe got his strength from. And then about 15 minutes after they left Christina (his sister) came in. See, I had sent her an email on facebook, just to let her know what a wonderful person I thought Joe was and to let her know that I'm here if she needs me. When Frank & Cathy came in, they had a print out of my email and asked if I knew who this was. I explained that that's me. So when they got home they told Christina that I was working right then, and she came to the store. She wanted to thank me for the email, for being a friend to Joe, and for taking care of her brother. She said that he didn't have a lot of people around here to lean on. I told her I knew how that felt. Ironically enough, Joe helped me a lot in handling my friend Greg's death last month. I'm forever grateful for him taking care of me in that aspect. I'm so glad that I got to meet them all, and that I could help, if only a little bit, in their healing process. I know it helps to talk about it, and that's why I just listened to his parents talk for about 15 minutes. I think maybe when I get back from vacation I'll stop by their house. Just to check on them. They live right up the road from work and I have their address. Things will have calmed down a little for them by then, and reality will have set in a little more by then too. I just wish there was more I could do for Christina. I can't imagine losing any of my brothers, especially Jimmy.
Okay, I'm done rambling for now. I hope everyone had a happy and SAFE holiday weekend. Do me a favor and call/text/email your friends and family. Let them know how much they mean to you. Tell people that you love them (if you really do!). And above all else, don't take life for granted. You never know when your time will expire so live your life to the fullest.
Live, laugh, love . . .
Anyway.
Joe's service is tomorrow evening. I have to be at work at 4. Work is awesome (wow, I have never said that) and got coverage for the entire store from 5-8 so anyone that wants to go can go. Everyone is to be at the church at 6 and service will start at 630. Then I have to go back to work and close the store. That should just be a freakin blast. It's going to be so hard to face his parents and sister again. Frank and Cathy came in the store yesterday and when I realized that they were Joe's parents I cried with his mom. They're such nice people and amazingly strong. I see where Joe got his strength from. And then about 15 minutes after they left Christina (his sister) came in. See, I had sent her an email on facebook, just to let her know what a wonderful person I thought Joe was and to let her know that I'm here if she needs me. When Frank & Cathy came in, they had a print out of my email and asked if I knew who this was. I explained that that's me. So when they got home they told Christina that I was working right then, and she came to the store. She wanted to thank me for the email, for being a friend to Joe, and for taking care of her brother. She said that he didn't have a lot of people around here to lean on. I told her I knew how that felt. Ironically enough, Joe helped me a lot in handling my friend Greg's death last month. I'm forever grateful for him taking care of me in that aspect. I'm so glad that I got to meet them all, and that I could help, if only a little bit, in their healing process. I know it helps to talk about it, and that's why I just listened to his parents talk for about 15 minutes. I think maybe when I get back from vacation I'll stop by their house. Just to check on them. They live right up the road from work and I have their address. Things will have calmed down a little for them by then, and reality will have set in a little more by then too. I just wish there was more I could do for Christina. I can't imagine losing any of my brothers, especially Jimmy.
Okay, I'm done rambling for now. I hope everyone had a happy and SAFE holiday weekend. Do me a favor and call/text/email your friends and family. Let them know how much they mean to you. Tell people that you love them (if you really do!). And above all else, don't take life for granted. You never know when your time will expire so live your life to the fullest.
Live, laugh, love . . .