Some Readers are familiar with my luck that as the old saying goes, when it rains it pours. Such as in my post The Extensive Misery of Bad Luck about my car breaking down, the sadden loss of my pet, and a Happy Birthday to me - here’s an abscessed tooth, etc. Stress Stinks about the ever increasing pressures on my job, the health of my Co-Worker, more car repairs for me again. And When Is It Okay To Scream? about carrying for Humanity and the strange events surrounding the health/deaths of many of my Co-Workers.
Recently however; I have been happy that the events in my life have been pretty much even-steven as the saying goes. Though at the end of January, 100 People including myself were laid-off from our place of employment. Then toward the end of February, the Unemployment Commission forgot to send me my benefit package. Happily; they fixed that relatively quickly. Meanwhile; miraculously my online Federal tax rebate was in my checking account in less than five days! And a Friend of mine helped direct me to a program that might assist with one of my medicines. Having properly applied for the prescription program, waiting 30 days, and my medicine running low; I called to inquire about my application. However; the company said they had nothing about me on file! Luckily a few days later, my Doctor office called to say the medicine was in! My Sister however; has not been as fortunate. And it is with her permission I share these startling, tragedy events with you:
My Sister lives on a military base with her Husband and their two boys, my Nephews. In April while they all were at the movie theater, someone broke in to their home. Perhaps a kid/teenager because nothing was taken except some coins in a jar and their things rummaged through. Still creepy knowing someone was in your home and able to even get in your home on a military base. Then at the beginning of May, her Husband headed overseas for his second stint, like many of our Men and Women in the military service. Shortly afterwards, on May 7 our father Gene passed away of a lingering illness. One would think if you knew you were dying, you would make proper arrangements. However; our father did not and so my Sister took care of all the funeral arrangements. I never realized how much is involved in the burial of a person until my Sister shared with me the long process.
Based on our State residency, each Sibling needed to sign a waiver to give her our permission to be in charge of his remains. The mortician had to wait for the Doctor to sign the death certificate. Later my Sister had to fill in any additional personal information that was needed to complete the form. Meanwhile; a donor organization called my Sis to request various organ donations. Then for some reason the funeral parlor isn’t open on the weekends (like do People not die on the weekends?), so my Sister was unable to get his ashes the weekend she drove here to SC. Finally, May 11th the cremation was preformed and his ashes mailed to my Sister. She wrote a beautiful obituary for him and sent that to the local Newspaper where he resided. Then on June 18th, his birthday – there will be a private memorial service for him.
Shortly after his death on May 7, my oldest Nephew age 15 and one of his Friends were invited into a home on the military base where they live. They were invited in by an older guy who is like an assistant coach or some kind of semi-pro football player, I’m not sure which. Having stepped inside the home, this guy introduced the boys to his mom. Suddenly this guy’s mother shouts get out. My Nephew asked the guy if his mother was joking when this mother says, you think I’m joking and quickly shoots a 9 mm gun that passes right by my Nephews ear, into the next home, and lodges outside in another person’s shed! How blessed was my Sister’s Son, my Nephew! How fortunate no one next door was shot.
My Nephew was smart. He ran, hid, and thinking first of his Mom calls and says don’t come out of the house - there’s a woman with a gun, then he calls the police. My Sister of course isn’t going to stay inside knowing her Son is out there, so she goes looking for him. It wasn’t til late that the military police show up merely stating the woman was in the right to protect her home cause her story was she woke up startled thinking someone had broken into her home. Despite the fact; that her son seeing his Mom armed, immediately shouted just before the gun went off, Mom what are you doing. Later it was learnt that it is possible this woman had shot a gun once before. The local police said they could not get involved because it was Federal property. Finally; tension on the military base escalated until a military meeting was held and they opted for the woman and her family to move off the base. But guess what, her husband gets to come home from the war to help them move because the military say it is his responsibility. Dang, this just isn’t fair, she shoots at my Nephew, my Sister’s Son and her husband gets to come home from the war. Shouldn’t my Sister’s Husband be the one to get to come home?
After this shooting incident, my Sister promptly got my Nephew understandably needed psychiatric help. Shortly afterwards, my oldest Nephew and his younger Friend who was with him in the house the night of the shooting decided to skip school. The first time my Nephew ever cut class and they of course were suspended. You’d think the principle would have taken into consideration the psychological mind frame of the kids, given what they had been through.
Meanwhile; things continued to go awry for my Sister. She opted to let my oldest Nephew pump gas in her van while she went inside the gas station to get change. She returned to see my Nephew pumping diesel instead of unleaded! We both agree this is an easy mistake to make because those dang diesel pumps shouldn’t even be on the same gas isle. I often worry myself about doing the same thing when I fill up with gas. Anyhow; the grand total to drain and repair her van was $500 with the mechanic stating it would have been worse if unleaded were put into a diesel vehicle.
Then at school a 6’2, 17 year old guy decided to pulverize my oldest - 15 year old Nephew! For some reason this guy had a habit of often grabbing one of my Nephew’s breast. My Nephew usually just took the invasion of privacy and said nothing, not wanting to make any trouble. Only this day my Nephew decided to merely push the guy’s hand away. My Nephew having already been suspended for cutting school and this being his second suspension knew the school policy was 3 strikes you are expelled; so he dared not fight back, as the guy continued to pound into his face. My youngest Nephew finally intervened and just as he did, this 6’2 guy and a Friend of his ganged up on my youngest Nephew and his ribs. Both older guys and my youngest Nephew were suspended, fortunately not my oldest Nephew cause he didn’t do anything. Still again no consideration from the principle for the circumstances involved, Brother standing up for Brother and two on one. My Sister took my Nephews to the doctor especially because my older Nephew looked as if his jaw was broken. Thankfully; both my Nephews are okay.
Wow, my poor Sister! All this with her health not doing so well either. For example; her back becomes strangely out of joint in various areas at times. The current diagnosis is possible degenerative disc disease. Yet I am a firm believer that with every rain there is a rainbow and so it is for my Sister. The house her Husband and her picked out before he went overseas is now theirs! As of July her and her two boys will be moving in until February when her Husband can join them!
Yes this has been a long post, however; if I didn’t write it, who would believe so much could happen to one person; (besides to me lol). Maybe such will help others to count their blessings.
And so no matter what you are going through in life, for you, for my Sister:
“May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.” - Irish Blessing
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