Nothing history related in this post. This one is for me. It's been a rough summer for our family. After about four years of fighting, my father died of cancer at the end of July. I did not have the greatest of relationships with my father for most of my life, but we tried to fix it in the end and I think that's what really matters. A few days after he died, my daughter asked if she could go see Pop. If anything, she will have good memories of him.
Three weeks after my dad passed, our dog, Sadie, was given a death sentence of degenerative myelopathy, a nerve disease that I can only equate to canine ALS in its symptoms, severity, and rapid progression. Within three weeks, we had to put her to sleep.
It is almost unfathomable to think that a dog, who in June was so smart and agile as to move multiple barriers that I'd set in place in a hotel room to open the door with her nose and escape into the hallway, would not make it to the end of August. I wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't lived it.
A day after Sadie, another friend lost her fight with cancer.
Through all of it, trying to parent to a tiny human who really doesn't understand fully what is going on has been the trickiest thing. We told her that they were very sick, and they had to go over the rainbow but they would be better. It still breaks my heart that she simply wants to kiss the boo-boo and make it better. She may not be able to heal physical wounds, but no mental wounds are too big for her heart.
She has been the best healing power through all of it. When we came home from the vet, she was so happy and cheered because "Sadie is all better now. She went over the rainbow." She misses her deeply, but that initial reaction will stay with me for the rest of my life.
It's been a tough journey for all of us. In addition to all of the physical loss, a surprising number of people who we thought were our friends showed their true colors, and simply turned their back on us. It is beyond disappointing to find that people you for years have shared memories with, given your generosity and love, devoted your time and life to, would abandon you in such a time of need. Death is the leveler; it shows people for who they truly--both the deceased and the living.
Others have shown us the best that they truly are. The amazing amount of support that we have received from our neighbors, fellow reenactors, and colleagues has been unexpected and humbling. If you're reading this, you may be one of those people: thank you. We may put on the mask of the stiff upper lip, but we do hurt too and we do appreciate it, and you, more than you will ever know.
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