Two years ago, I got that phone call from Kimmy, while I was selling books. It's funny, as I sat down to write this, I recalled that entire day...and the 54 days that followed and I tried to gather my thoughts together to write it down - what was going on. Kim and I at St. Joseph's in the waiting room, holding hands...the hallway that they eventually gave Kim a bed to wait in. The tests. Even how I felt today, two years later - numb. And, I wondered "have I written about this before?".
I flipped back through the blogs, the memories...what a life I had!
What I found in the blogs, beginning on 10/19/11, was that I had already written all of what happened. How we felt and what we did. Almost word for word what I was thinking of writing tonight! Even that the bambini are a little off this week. I don't bring up these dark 'anniversaries' with them - we do talk about Kim daily and about the good times. Yet, their little internal clocks, or whatever, is reminding them. Cody, like I wrote a year ago...quiet. Tonio, has overcome more than his sister and brother have had to, but had a sad day at school yesterday...his teacher, Ms. Irwin, gently, caringly, leading him back and ending the day with smiles.
In a lot of ways, it's been a tougher year.
Today, Kim found ways to smile at us.
And wave...
Helping chase away that feeling that I am Major Tom in Bowie's 'Space Oddity'...
Our good friends, Mary and Ami, (AKA "The greatest kindergarten teachers that ever lived!") kept the little bambini so happy today...
I got a text from Ami on my way home, after a 10 hour shift selling books: "We are in the backyard jumping on the trampoline. If we don't hear the doorbell just come on in!"
What an incredibly fun sight to see the Bunchkins, Hunter, Colton and Ethan (Ami's 3 year old triplets), bouncing and leaping with Autumn and Tonio!!! Meanwhile, Mary's daughter, Brinley, playing in the sandbox, joyfully shouted her encouragement to the laughing children! They had gone to McD's after school, played with 'slime' (Ami is brave!) and then hit the trampoline.
Later, we met with Lupe, Monsi and Manny at Cottonwood's movie night. The feature tonight was a Disney Movie called 'Oliver & Company'.
Kim and I saw this one in the theater when it first came out. It starred Billy Joel, Dom DeLuise and Cheech Marin. We were big Dom DeLuise people and Cheech was always funny. Kim liked his character, a chihuahua named 'Tito' best. Shortly after seeing the movie, I found and bought a 'Tito' stuffed animal for Kim. Remember, this was 1988 - there was no internet!
Monsi and Tonio sat and watched the whole movie together, while a lot of their friends ran around. They enjoyed popcorn and candy and did their running after the show while Manny and I tried to help pack up the enormous movie screen and Lupe helped clean up concessions.
Kim and I attended many of Cottonwood's movie nights. We especially liked the outdoor ones, chairs set on the gently sloping lawn leading to the outdoor stage where the movie screen gets set up. Sometimes we'd bring our chairs, other times just a blanket. These movie nights were a great way for us to get the kids out, let them run and play and catch a little of the movie, while we could sit and be with each other after a busy day.
After seeing that I had written everything that I thought/felt today in prior posts, and because the kids did have a good day, I thought I'd limit it to this...In Mass, the other day, the Gospel reading and Homily dealt with "we all have a cross to bear". Mine's no heavier than anyone else's...and yet, I think of Joell Ortiz says, in the song 'Rescue Me'..."I'm so tired of treading, so Lord, when you get a second, please."
It'll be another early day tomorrow...anticipating that sunrise!
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