Ciao!
Annyeonghaseyo!
Konnichiwa!
Hello!
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After this past week that Zeke and I had it's nice to be able to relax now.
As most of the people I've conversed with and notified via Blogotex, Group, Notecard or IM know, Zeke and I had to fly home (to Illinois) this past Tuesday as a long running friend of our family passed away (this family and my family have ties to one another for well over 46 years). So we got the call Monday night that she had passed and the funeral would be the first Tuesday after Easter. So Zeke got online made arrangements for us to fly round trip from home back to the state we originally met in many years ago. This has been the longest week of my life. We had people on the same flight as us coming back home for this. There was a total of 8 of us coming in from Florida. Zeke and I from Lakeland and 4 from Jacksonville. We all met early about an hour prior to our take off time so we could talk and just spend a little time of peace together because we know going back home was going to be one hell of an emotional struggle and an all out rollercoaster. Zeke and I really didn't understand the magnitude of that until we got back home and the next day arrived. We spent Easter with my family and had a day to somewhat get situated and we managed to spend that day together without alot of commotion. Tuesday arrived and so did the crazy. We arrived at the funeral home at 10 AM (just a little before). We went inside and was met with hordes of people. Some I knew, some Zeke knew and others we had no idea who they were. It was a packed house. We talked with the family, cried, laughed and cried some more but most importantly we were together in a time of heartache and deep sadness. The thing people take for granted and lose sight of it what is usually right in front of you before your very own eyes and we forget just how fragile life really is. The woman that passed away wasn't all that old, she was in her mid 60's. She had, had some medical issues with her stomach that didn't seem too serious but we think it was what she told no one that was the culprit. She loved her kids, family and friends and we think she thought if she just didn't think about it she would be victorious and it would just vanish but as the time went more problems came about. In the end we think she was afraid and that her belief this would all just vanish and go away failed her as it didn't go away but progressed further. We feel like Cancer got her as it has most of her family as it is. Even her 45 year old daughter has dealt with Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer losing either one or both of her breasts (I just don't remember, too many years back). Her own mother passed due to Cancer so we feel it is what took her. Now, her children and her husband may know what claimed her life but its kept quiet amongst the rest of the family. Some of the members of this family are older and some things are kept quiet as its taboo to discuss something so personal and private as Cancer. It's not something some family members wish to discuss publicly as it's been a silent killer within their lives long before it's voice was developed. While some agree and others wont, regardless of thought or opinion respect is demanded as it IS the choice of the family over your need to know and understand. While at this visitation and funeral services I never dreamed that I'd be at a funeral from 10 Am to 5 PM. There was a Visitation from 10 AM till 2 PM then graveside services till 2:30 or about and then from we'll say 3 PM (arrival) at a church in another town for fellowship and dinner. We didn't eat, there was so many people there and we feared family not getting fed so we chose to snack on some dessert items as there was an over abundance of and then when we left at 5 PM we arrived at our hotel we cleaned up and changed again from our formal attire to something more casual then went and ate Chinese at one of the local Chinese Houses with a buffet. By the time we finally returned to our hotel for the night its was after 9:00 PM. And we were to meet with the family the next day for a get together as some of the people that flew in with us was returning to Jacksonville Florida on Thursday. So we went to bed early as we were super exhausted. Woke up went to one of the highly popular pizza places and ate there and spent a couple of hours there. As we went out to our cars we hugged the ones leaving for Michigan and Florida in the morning and cried and laughed and cried some more. My mom feared that Zeke and I was leaving in the morning also so we assured her that was wasn't leaving until Friday Morning at 10 AM to fly back home. I don't mind the get togethers but not everyone can afford to fly back to Illinois like we can. Friday morning we left Chicago Illinois O'Hare Tampa Intl Airport at 10:00 AM and arrived back in Tampa at Tampa Intl Airport after a 2 hour and 40 min flight but we had to drive about 50+ miles home but we managed to make it home at a decent time. My timezones screwed up again though. I went from SL+ 3 Hrs to SL+ 2 Hrs and now back to SL+ 3 Hrs again so I'll be messed up for a week again.
We relaxed by the pool when we got home, our furbabies and his kids were glad to see us and the place was still intact thank God. We went out for dinner with our little family came home got comfortable and watched a movie. I have no idea when the kids went to bed but we were in by 11:00 PM and were blessed it was the weekend...Sleeping in late on Saturday is an absolute must after all of that. Tonight we are grilling out at home. His daughter will return to school Sunday so it will be just the three of us plus the cat and the dog. As I look back at last week and think how thankful and blessed Zeke and I are my heart still breaks for my friends that have since before I was born been apart of my family and whats become extended family to me and Zeke, it really does prove life is not a promise and there is no guarantee. And it makes me think that May 1st is just around the corner and the 3rd year anniversary of the passing of my childhood friend Eric. We did go to the wreck site and I did put flowers out for him. That is something there that's so hard for me to still accept. So do keep in mind life is fragile and how short our stay is in this realm. Keep the ones you love and the ones near and deer close to your heart as much as you can for tomorrow isn't promised for us to walk another day in this life.
It's good to be home in our normal chaos.
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