Barbara J. Hamby

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Another Week Begins

Yesterday we had a fun afternoon with my cousin and his wife. After a visit of a couple of hours, we went out to eat, and then back to our place briefly. His mother wasn’t well enough to come along with them, so I missed seeing her. She’s always a lot of fun, also. When the weather gets better, we’ll try to get out to Scappoose to visit all of them.

I’m struggling with a poem about a relationship of sixty years with my very close friend who passed away a couple of years ago. The poem I wrote while she was dying was very difficult and needs more work. What Do I Say to a Friend Who is Dying presents my dilemma at that time, but doesn’t adequately develop the scope of our long friendship. I think I need to add more word pictures selected from the many good times we spent together and our email correspondence in later years when we couldn’t get together often.

Today I read about the woman who is now the oldest known female at 114 years. There is some distinction in living to that age, but there must be so many heartaches that accompany it. I know how many friends and relatives I’ve lost at my age. It can only be much worse for her. Along with the ones who’ve died, there are those who’ve moved away and some who’ve slipped into dementia and no longer deal with reality and real people.

Surviving relatives and new friends help keep my life interesting and challenging. Just remembering new friends’ and acquaintances’ names is brain-stimulating exercise.

Time to get some rest to prepare for a busy day tomorrow with writers’ critique group and the pain clinic meeting that was cancelled due to snow last week. We still have small spots of snow scattered around the yards, but most of it is gone.