Friday, June 25, 2010

Perspective

Well if I thought I was having a tough week a phone call from home smacked me with the reality that I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and stop wallowing.  I don't know about all of your hometowns, what they were like, or how big they were, but one thing is for certain, when you grow up in a small town like mine (Northfield, MA) people know people and people love people.  It's that small town USA feel, people wave as they pass you on the street, you can't stop for milk at the local Mim's Market without running into 4 people you know and catching up on the time that has past. And for those reasons and for many more I am thankful that I had the chance to grow up in such a small town, did I feel that way at the time, probably not, but soon after I left, I realized how good I had it...but the moral of my story, doesn't have anything to do with small towns really, it more has to do with when you are from one, everything feels "close to home", but when you live far away and tragedy strikes you feel less than "close to home".

Like I mentioned, one of my close friends from home called this morning with some very tragic news (Is it just me, or do you all feel like I have had a lot of tragic news to report over the last few months, I swear my life is generally not filled with such doom and gloom, its usually sunshine and cupcakes). One of my high school classmates took his life last night, and while I wasn't uber close to him, at one time I was very close with his wife, and many of his friends. My BFF Beth just had him and his daughter over for dinner not too long ago, my heart aches for my friends that are grieving such a tragic loss.

I wish I could yell "Enough is Enough" and the Gods would just take pity on our town and grant everyone safety and health for years to come, but that isn't the reality we live in.

And its ironic, the timing. My Mom's best friend, Pattie Jo has been just waiting for her dear, sweet Mother to pass, and prayers were finally answered and she finally has gone home in peace. A very tragic death and a very peaceful death all in one day, strange how the world works.

Grandma Perry as I knew her, was and will always be one of my favorite people, and if you ever get the chance to meet her daughter, Pattie Jo (Pat to everyone else, I just call her Pattie Jo) you will realize the apple doesn't fall from the tree. Man oh Man, they are angels, now we have one above looking down over us while the other still walks among us. My favorite recent story about Grandma Perry...she has been receiving Hospice care for quite some time, but don't let that fool you, she has been kicked out of Hospice a few times for being "too strong", at 101, being too strong is something to be reckoned with. So anyways, the Hospice Nurse was there to see her a few weeks back, and she looked right at the lady and said "I am sorry dear, I don't have time for this today, I have an Ice Cream Social to attend and I need to get my nails done" - and if you could hear her sweet voice delivering that message it would make your heart sing. I will always think of her a smile, and when I close my eyes real tight I can hear her saying "Leigh-Leigh" (as she always called me). God Bless Grandma Perry and her very large, loving family who I hold near and dear to my heart.

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