Out-of-pocket the past couple of days! My wife and I traveled to the Metro-East area for a ninety-year-old gentleman's birthday party on Sunday and then attended a Monday morning Memorial Service honoring my Mother, who passed one month ago. The birthday fella, Ray McGraw is the older sibling of a former East St. Louis high school teammate of mine, Tom McGraw. It was a neat moment to observe so much family love and friendship respect for a truly 'gentle-'man.
The next Day, Monday, January 21, Brad Thomas clergy/pastor at the Meridian Village Independent/Assisted Living Home where my Mother resided for nine years, orchestrated a wonderful service. Many of my Mother's residential friends joined some family members to remember Lucille Vickers (Lou) Roustio. Afterwards, Gerry and I were joined by granddaughter, Amanda Murphey, great-grandson, Talin, grandson Kyle O'Keefe, cousin, Gary Swalley, brother, Tom and wife Vicky and their two granddaughters, Emily and Allison for lunch; a sweet sharing moment. Before departing the Edwardsville area, we took SIUE, college student-grandson, Kyle for a little grocery shopping. I told the lad that until he begins making the two-hour trip to Nana and Boompa's for those vittles gathering exercises, gasoline fill-up chances and that extra $20 spot, I will believe his 'higher' education has not kicked-in!
On our return trip back to Decatur, I shared with my wife, Gerry a thought that she too was engaging as we traveled about the familiar roads of Edwardsville, Caseyville, Collinsville and Belleville during our two-day trek; a new and strange thought of 'familarity-emptiness.' Let me explain. As we motored from site to site, we passed by the former three-former homes of my parents, once-upon-a-time houses of three aunts and uncles and of course our sister-in law's home...all those love ones are gone. Those stops that we frequently made and the laughter that awaited at each visit is no more but now relegated to memories. The urge to drive into to those familiar drive ways is halted by the realities of contact-closure.
The word 'adjustment' comes to mind this morning. 'Adjustment' has been a huge part of both my sport-playing and professional life. As a baseball pitcher, I often made mechanical 'adjustments.' As a coach, I asked my teams to make approach-adjustments. The coaching-career moves that I made required me and my family to 'adjust.' Anytime that we make adjustments, we discard a habit from yesterday and embrace a new approach; we turn the page as 'they' say.
I can 'adjust' to this new reality because I bring a blueprint-strength from the 'old' history. The day, eighteen years ago, when the Barnes Hospital cardiologist staff told my Father that they had reached their limits to assist his failing heart, my Dad told me, "I gotta play the hand that I am dealt, but I am so thankful I was invited to the game." We must all play out various hands...just remember to enjoy the company while you have it.
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