Page 48 of 53 FirstFirst ... 384647484950 ... LastLast
Results 471 to 480 of 524

Thread: Holidays can be hard...

  1. #471
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Colorado Springs,Co
    Posts
    231

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Hello all and Merry Christmas. I hope each of you had a blessed day.
    Ours was a mixture.. our first without sweet Ginger. Every moment I felt her absence.. the lump in my throat and ache in my heart were almost unbearable at times. I. ( we. My husband and I) did our best to busy ourselves with a quick breakfast, kitchen clean up, then over to my mom and sisters. I think getting out of the house and visiting there and helping out with dinner and things helped temporarily. We both still thought of Ginger every moment. but the busyness helped distract the loneliness and kept the tears at bay for the most part. I hated seeing her empty stocking under the tree, yet I couldn't not put it out.
    I wrote a poem about her and the loss of my dad. This marks our 5th Christmas without him. I will try to copy and past here. I find strength in being here among those that truly understand.. blessing to all. Colleen.
    Empty collar,
    Empty chair.
    Hard to believe
    You're both not here.
    Lump in my throat
    Tears in my eyes
    You both were
    My hardest goodbyes.
    A little piece
    Here and there,
    Holes in my heart
    That won't repair.
    You took with you
    The very best.
    Of my heart
    And left the rest.
    I'll try to fill it
    Best I can.
    Unconditional love,
    Lend a helping hand.
    But no amount
    Will fill those parts,
    Reserved for you
    Deep in my heart.
    So thankful for
    The time we had.
    Miss you Ginger,
    Miss you Dad!

    12-23-24.

  2. #472
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Dear Colleen, your poem touches my own heart beyond measure. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us who join you in loss. Our memories are both our joy and our sorrow; our comfort and our pain. What you’ve written is so sad, yet also so sweet and so true. You are truly gifted, my friend, to be able to give voice to your (our!) feelings in this way and your words are so meaningful to us all.

    In loving memory of all our angels, and in loving gratitude for our dear K9C family here. We “Support…Educate…Encourage…Remember” one another. Today and always.

  3. #473
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Colorado Springs,Co
    Posts
    231

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    43 weeks!!!! My birthday, Gingers birthday. Halloween, Thanksgiving, my husband's birthday. Christmas, New Years. And my Daddy's birthday tomorrow( what would have been his 97th).... each and all of these have been firsts without my sweet Ginger! Her absence has hit like a ton of bricks.... my emotions have been a roller coaster.. wanting to celebrate each, celebrate the season, yet longing to hold her. Share with her. Include her as we did each and every year.. I embrace her memories, am thankful for each one but only through tear filled eyes.

  4. #474
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Oh Colleen, I so understand. Every anniversary is hard, but I do believe the year of “firsts” is especially piercing. I’m so glad you’ve joined us here in our holiday house this year, though. I know you’ve had many rough moments yourself, but your kindness to the rest of us has eased *our* hearts, as well. So we thank you for being here and for supporting all our family.

    And on this sunny, cold day in Georgia, I’m feeling as though the doors to this year’s house are preparing to close for another year. Tomorrow we’ll be taking down our beautiful tree and driving it over to be turned into mulch for gardens and trails. I’ll dearly miss its twinkling lights every night and early each morning. But for myself, today feels as though the holidays are now behind us once again. It’ll take a while for me to pack away all the other decorations. But once the tree has left us, the spirit of the holiday season seems to depart for me, as well. A bittersweet day, for sure.

    I surely want to thank everybody who has stopped by to see us this year. I’m saddened to be missing seeing some old friends here, but I’m so hoping that their absence is due to their lives being filled with other new, good experiences as time continues to march on. Best wishes to all our family in the coming year, wherever they may be. Stay safe, and be well!

    Marianne

  5. #475
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Colorado Springs,Co
    Posts
    231

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    17 years ago today, my( our) life changed forever!��❤.. you came into our lives a 5 month old precious tiny pup. So needy, so loving, so full of life. We celebrated 16 birthdays and 16 " welcome homes" with you! 15 Thanksgivings and Christmases! We are indeed grateful and thankful for every single day. You filled our lives with so much joy! It was so fulfilling to be so needed, so loved unconditionally. Miss you every single day Ginger...
    Hope you all are well and staying warm.

  6. #476
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Well, here we are, already near the end of October 2022! Can you believe it? Halloween is almost upon us, and it’s time to reopen the doors to our autumn holiday house once again. You guys all know the drill by now — any time you feel as though you’d welcome some company during the coming days, we’ll be here to join you.

    The biggest news on my end is simply that sweet Luna is still with us. She’s very fragile and we truly take things one day at a time. But she’s still here, and the orange collar is awaiting her on Halloween should she feel up to wearing it. I so hope she will. We have no other special plans for now. The Halloween candy has been bought and our pumpkins are on the front porch awaiting carving. Last year we had the pleasure of watching our Atlanta Braves in the baseball playoffs all through October and into the World Series over Halloween weekend. Sadly, that won’t be repeated for us. But I’m hoping that Halloween will still be a fun night for us, regardless.

    It has turned cold early for us this year, with our first frosts over the last couple of nights. So my pots of summer flowers are goners, but I freshly planted some pansies (orange and purple blooms, of course!) to launch Halloween and to take us through the winter. They can survive the winters here in Atlanta, and then they’ll really thrive in early spring.

    So that’s the October news from our house. As always, I send my warmest holiday wishes to all our family, and I hope to see some of you dropping by to visit during the coming weeks.

    Love, Marianne

  7. #477
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Glen Cove, NY
    Posts
    1,941

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    This Halloween will be one year since Gable got sick and died two days later. I have decorated a little, not as much as in the past. I just don't feel like it.

    Josh and I have spent almost every Sunday checking out all the Spirit Halloween stores within a 20 mile car ride. We've done seven so far! Sibbie comes with us even though she hates the animatronics. It's been fun doing things with him again. He's got his Haunt set up in his basement with all his old, and new creatures. But both Josh and Alex have outgrown the tame traditions of the past and I am not into the gruesome haunted houses anymore.

    The front is decorated, candy bought, and I've also got my mums and pumpkins set out front. I can't believe the holidays are upon us once again...

    Happy Halloween to all!
    Joan, mom to my Angel Lena, Angel Gable, Angel Phoenix, Angel Doree, Cooper, Sibble, and now Raina.

  8. #478
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Oh Joan, I sure do remember how awful last Halloween turned out to be for you. I’m very proud of you for decorating at all! I know it’ll be impossible for you to ever forget the linkage. The older I get myself, I realize that I have far more holidays behind me than I have in front of me, and each one now carries a myriad of memories, both good and sorrowful. I’m trying to still honor all the good memories as best I can, but I sure do understand why this Halloween is especially hard for you.

    In honesty, I’m entering this whole holiday season with less anticipation than usual, myself. I’m not sure why. Luna’s health always weighs on my mind these days. And the last two years of COVID has also changed all the holiday equations. I plan to resume handing out candy at the door again this year, but will be wearing a mask myself (it’s nice that masks are the norm for Halloween, anyway!). To be honest, I’m as wary about flu as I am about COVID. Georgia currently has the worst flu outbreak in the country, and little kids here are *really* sick. The children’s hospitals here are overflowing, and whenever I’m out and about, I hear kids coughing their heads off. Yikes. We’ve gotten both our flu shots and new COVID boosters, but yes, I’ll definitely be wearing a mask at the door!

    And at this point, I’m guessing that Thanksgiving and Christmas will both be pretty quiet events here at home. We can’t travel with Luna, and I don’t think other family members will be heading our way this year. So the decorations I put up are to please ourselves, and we just don’t need a whole lot. But the favorites will still come out of the closets and the basement. Traditions do mean a lot to me, and I’m hoping that Halloween night will still bring some of the joy and magic for me that I’ve always felt since being a little kid. Only a week to go now!

  9. #479
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Glen Cove, NY
    Posts
    1,941

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Yes, things are so different now, especially worrying about flu, Covid, the dogs getting older. Doree is 17 or 18 this year and a constant worry. She's almost blind from cataracts, her back is so bad, and her poor little hind legs keep popping out...but she still knows her dad and since he sits in the chair with her all day she's content. He is so tired from the chemo pills, and probably the cancer, so they just cuddle up during the day and then I sleep down here while she is in the playpen. I don't let her wander anymore at night. She forgets where she is and gets panicky, and falls a lot.

    I also have out my favorite decorations, and I will hand out the candy like I always do. I have such fond memories of me and Lena sitting on the stoop giving out candy. She loved seeing all the kids and so many pictures of her were taken with them. I know she would want me to keep doing it and it makes me feel close to her. Sibbie hates all the costumes and barks at them, LOL!

    I so hope Luna gets to wear the orange collar for Halloween. I know how hard it is not to worry...

    Take care of yourselves and give her a big kiss from me!

    Love, Joan
    Joan, mom to my Angel Lena, Angel Gable, Angel Phoenix, Angel Doree, Cooper, Sibble, and now Raina.

  10. #480
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Holidays can be hard...

    Well, it’s a very foggy spooky morning after, and it has made it cozy to sleep a bit later. Halloween 2022 is now in the books. Yesterday Luna did well, for her, and wore the orange collar with style. Yay!!!! It was a relatively quiet evening in our neighborhood with far fewer kids out-and-about than the last couple of years. Maybe the loosening of COVID restrictions prompted more parties and organized group events this time around? It’s always so hard to predict just how much candy to buy, and this year we’ve got a lot left over. But over time, hubby and I will be able to take care of that problem, I’m sure ;-).

    I’ll go ahead and leave my Halloween decorations up until the weekend because I love them so. And then it’ll be the shift to Thanksgiving as the holidays march onward.

    In the meantime, I’m especially thinking of you today and tomorrow, Joan. I know how tough these memories have to be. And I’m especially thinking of sweet Gable. He’s forever in our hearts, today and always, and we’ll never forget him.

    Love, Marianne

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •