Did you miss me last week? It was a rough week and I just could not bring myself to write a column. You see, my father had a bad fall and has been having a rough time of it, and I have been putting my focus there instead of toward any of my various jobs. As I write this, he is still in the hospital, in the rehab department, and will probably be released before this goes to print. It has been quite a haul to get to this point, and likely will continue to be a tough road ahead. He isn’t someone that likes restrictions and limitations but he’s going to have some now. So you won’t see him out driving around anymore, though I will happily take him out on some excursions to keep his mind occupied. And I’ll be out of work for a bit helping him at home. We’ve had a pretty good scare no matter how you slice it but he is one tough 93 year old. I’m grateful to still have him around to drive me crazy.
Of course, I have to send out huge thank you messages to everyone who has helped us over the last two weeks, starting with the police and EMS team that showed up to help get Pop to the hospital. Although he was very confused at the time, Pop recognized Jonathan Searle right away, which helped calm my nerves. It was one thing for him to recognize me, but to recognize someone he hadn’t seen for awhile meant that things were maybe going to be ok. The EMTs took excellent care of him and whisked him off to the hospital in no time. The ER staff took excellent care of him before admitting him, and the entire staff in acute care and then rehab was nothing short of amazing. Say what you want about our hospital, but their care and kindness to us over the last two weeks was excellent. And friends and family have been supportive and caring as we adjust to our new normal. It takes a village.
Honestly, I’m not really certain about what is going on out there in the world. One thing I do know is that The Times ran a couple of articles about my friend, Jen Abreu, and her family, who have been separated due to immigration. Jen is one of the interpreters at our school and Eddie owns a landscaping company. This family really needs some help to reunite. Jen’s husband and one child remain in Brazil, while Jen and two children returned to the United States a couple of weeks ago. They are trying to get Eddie and their middle child back home. A GoFundMe has been set up to help them with expenses if anyone is able to give. The website is bit.ly/Abreu_fundraiser.
Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Terry Donahue and Keith Chatinover on Feb. 6, Rebecca Mathew and my cousin, Kathy King, on Feb. 9, and Kristen Jenkinson on Feb. 12.
Congratulations to the lady Eagles basketball team on a great season. Unfortunately, they went into the playoffs without their usual coaches. However, Michelle Pikor and Megan McDonald stepped in to get them through last week in what I’m told was a valiant effort by our girls — they came up just two points short against Oak Bluffs.
The Edgartown School needs substitute teachers. It is definitely a nation-wide problem, but we are feeling it terribly here in our town. If you are interested in working as a sub, find out more details on the Edgartown School website: bit.ly/Edgartown_subs.
I think that’s about it for this week. Honestly, I’m exhausted and my brain isn’t working quite as well as I would like it to. Looking forward to getting Pop home and spending time there instead of hours at the hospital. It’s been a perfectly lovely home away from home for both of us, but as Dorothy said, “there’s no place like home”. Thank you to my husband, Don, for holding down the rest of my life and taking full care of the hounds; to my brother and sister for virtual support for both me and the old man, soon to turn into in person support; to my kids and nieces for checking in on Pop via Facetime and text; to Donnie Welch for advice and humor; to Laura Knight for being my soul sister, and to the rest of our friends and family for being there for us in many, many ways. Take care of each other, folks. It’s really what matters most — a lesson we learn in times of need and often forget when life is going smoothly. Have a great week.
