A long long weekend
Got up early Saturday morning, and dragged Tyler out of bed, so that he and I could put the GPS into the car, and he drove me into Boston to the Hynes Convention Center, where he will be driving to and from on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Anime Boston. The kid has never driven into Boston, and this is in the heart of downtown...but I simply don't have the patience or energy this time around to be the taxi - I like that they are free and able to move themselves about. In general Ty is a very good driver, so it went really well, despite the fact that the GPS is outdated when it comes to getting off of Storrow Drive at Memorial Drive and taking a left - no longer allowed, so you have to go across the Charles, down, around in front of MIT, and back over the bridge. Because of Ty's unbelievable memory, he now knows all the areas where you have to be in this lane or that, and I feel confident that he'll be fine driving himself and his friends in and out. Told him that they are to come up with $60 to fill the tank for the weekend, and help with the $18/day parking.
We did it early because I had to basically grab the car when we got home, and turn around and drive back IN to Boston - to Newton actually, to the BC (BU? The Catholic one...BC I think) Law campus, to attend a memorial for the husband of one of my sorority sisters. Found it easily, and was glad I was early - there must have been over 250 people there, including about 20+ of us PBG girls, mainly the first and second pledge classes with the founding sisters. I sat down, saw no one I knew, was terrified that I was actually LOOKING at people I DID know and that they would not recognize me or me them...got up to try to call home, and found Wendy in the entrance to the church. Amazing how 2 people can completely crumple yet keep each other standing up with the most amazing hug, both of us sobbing and shaking. She kept thanking me for coming, and pointed out one of my sisters that had been there for a bit (but never turned around so I didn't recognize her) - and then more of us came pouring in. It was such an amazing mix of pain, joy, and LOVE - so much LOVE - all of us just grabbing on to each other like we saw each other last week, not, in some cases, in 1989. We broke into little groups to fit into the church, and it got to the point where we couldn't even look at one another because we'd just start crying.
I didn't know Wendy's husband personally, only from what I saw on Facebook, but after this service I felt like I did. What an amazing person he sounded like - such a passion for being ALIVE, and for helping other people find that in themselves. Definitely something I'm somewhat lacking right now. After the service, which was lengthy, everyone went into one of the adjoining buildings for the reception, and that's where the bonds really showed. One sister summed it up "From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it. You cannot see sisterhood, nor can you hear it or taste it."
I haven't felt part of a group in a really REALLY long time the way I did that day.
Talked to a few of my sisters about the health stuff going on w/me...only to have a GIANT group of people suddenly ready to support me. I feel so horrible for Wendy, for the loneliness she must feel, but I also feel so good to know that I brought a bit of that same comfort to her.
Emotions helped highten my flare, and I'm having weird, upsetting dreams that are apparently causing me to talk in my sleep like never before. Given the recurring and detailed content of my dreams, this is NOT a good thing, and I just hope I mumble enough that names and details cannot be made out. Then again, it's just a dream.
Kids are off this week - Kelsey's making me nuts with her prom stuff, it's not for a month, but suddenly it's the only topic on her mind (including the fact that she didn't listen to me, bought a dress that was "a LITTLE bit tight" on her with the intention of losing weight, which she now cannot zip up and needs to be let out, if that's EVEN FREAKING POSSIBLE...). They have to fight over the car, because it's my last week at work, I will be bringing things home to empty out my office, and I'm NOT the one going to carpool.
Speaking of my last week - trying to let go gracefully, and not let things bug me - honestly feel removed from the day to day work stuff, due to my awesome team taking it on for me as a "trial run" before I'm not here to ask questions - but the long term plans are killing me, and it's hard to just let go and not tell them how their ideas are going to backfire and drown everyone. Then again, I still feel possessive of INTELLicast, and I haven't worked on that website since the early 90s... *sigh*
We did it early because I had to basically grab the car when we got home, and turn around and drive back IN to Boston - to Newton actually, to the BC (BU? The Catholic one...BC I think) Law campus, to attend a memorial for the husband of one of my sorority sisters. Found it easily, and was glad I was early - there must have been over 250 people there, including about 20+ of us PBG girls, mainly the first and second pledge classes with the founding sisters. I sat down, saw no one I knew, was terrified that I was actually LOOKING at people I DID know and that they would not recognize me or me them...got up to try to call home, and found Wendy in the entrance to the church. Amazing how 2 people can completely crumple yet keep each other standing up with the most amazing hug, both of us sobbing and shaking. She kept thanking me for coming, and pointed out one of my sisters that had been there for a bit (but never turned around so I didn't recognize her) - and then more of us came pouring in. It was such an amazing mix of pain, joy, and LOVE - so much LOVE - all of us just grabbing on to each other like we saw each other last week, not, in some cases, in 1989. We broke into little groups to fit into the church, and it got to the point where we couldn't even look at one another because we'd just start crying.
I didn't know Wendy's husband personally, only from what I saw on Facebook, but after this service I felt like I did. What an amazing person he sounded like - such a passion for being ALIVE, and for helping other people find that in themselves. Definitely something I'm somewhat lacking right now. After the service, which was lengthy, everyone went into one of the adjoining buildings for the reception, and that's where the bonds really showed. One sister summed it up "From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it. You cannot see sisterhood, nor can you hear it or taste it."
I haven't felt part of a group in a really REALLY long time the way I did that day.
Talked to a few of my sisters about the health stuff going on w/me...only to have a GIANT group of people suddenly ready to support me. I feel so horrible for Wendy, for the loneliness she must feel, but I also feel so good to know that I brought a bit of that same comfort to her.
Emotions helped highten my flare, and I'm having weird, upsetting dreams that are apparently causing me to talk in my sleep like never before. Given the recurring and detailed content of my dreams, this is NOT a good thing, and I just hope I mumble enough that names and details cannot be made out. Then again, it's just a dream.
Kids are off this week - Kelsey's making me nuts with her prom stuff, it's not for a month, but suddenly it's the only topic on her mind (including the fact that she didn't listen to me, bought a dress that was "a LITTLE bit tight" on her with the intention of losing weight, which she now cannot zip up and needs to be let out, if that's EVEN FREAKING POSSIBLE...). They have to fight over the car, because it's my last week at work, I will be bringing things home to empty out my office, and I'm NOT the one going to carpool.
Speaking of my last week - trying to let go gracefully, and not let things bug me - honestly feel removed from the day to day work stuff, due to my awesome team taking it on for me as a "trial run" before I'm not here to ask questions - but the long term plans are killing me, and it's hard to just let go and not tell them how their ideas are going to backfire and drown everyone. Then again, I still feel possessive of INTELLicast, and I haven't worked on that website since the early 90s... *sigh*