Oy -- It Could Be Voise!

 So tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and as for me and MY family, we will gather to give gratitude for our manifold blessings. Sure -- we've had downs and disappointments, and there IS a worldwide plague going on, but we try to keep things in perspective.

I did hear three pieces of awful news this week. A friend's mother, just 76, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. My friend is a devoted, only child, and is devastated, as is her father. She will begin the long, sad road now of finding a suitable, safe residence for her parents, learning about resources, eldercare planning, etc...

I shared the experience I have from dealing with the declines of my mother, and Wifey's parents. I told her it's awful, and just gets worse. I wish the reality were different, but it's not.

I then heard that the husband of an old friend has failed in his treatments for terminal cancer. He was diagnosed a year ago with a form of cancer where patients typically live a year after diagnosis. This is one time you don't WANT to be a textbook case. I pray for peace for that family.

And then last night I spoke at length with a very long time friend from LI. He's a retired Fed guy, and his wife has been suffering from MS for years. The past several have left her wheelchair bound, and my old friend, turning 60 next year, fears dying before she does -- from the stress and pain of being her caregiver. He's at a crossroads -- realizing he probably has to find a facility for his wife, who is mentally all there but physically failing. Another Oy vey.

I was discussing these miseries with Wifey, and remarked how my father had the decency to drop dead long before he became a burden on his family. Of course, I was devastated by his loss, and haven't "gotten over it," whatever that means, nearly 4 decades later.

All I know is, life comes at you. Often exquisitely, like a warm, tropical breeze, but sometimes like a freezing rain n'oreaster. You really never know.

So when things are truly, mostly ok, you HAVE to celebrate.

Another friend and I were talking about how some people lie about their age. I can never do that. Each year is a gift from the Big Man, and when you claim to be younger than you are, it's as if you're ungrateful for some of that ultimate gift.

Of course 30 somethings look far more attractive than 50 somethings. That's just the way things are. You just have to enjoy whatever complements there are.

Just yesterday, one of our FHP troopers, who provide unneeded security in my 'hood, called me over. I call her the lady of indeterminate ethnicity, since she is of indeterminate ethnicity. She clearly has either Polynesian or possibly Indian ancestry, but she is most exotic looking.

She said she never wanted to bother me while I walked, since I was always on the phone with what must be important calls. I guffawed. I am on the phone, I told her, but almost NEVER about anything important. Anyway, I was phone-free, and she complemented me on the weight I lost. I thanked her, and said she looked fine too. She's actually pretty zaftig, and rolled her eyes and said "That's not true, but you are very charming for saying that." So there's that...

So bring it on, Thanksgiving. We're ready for a day with the Ds, their men, our grandson, and 4 dogs. I'll pick up the catered food in the am, and start tending bar just after noon.

It could be voise!