Goodbye

I'll be saying goodbye to my sister in law of nearly 50 years. She has spent the last decade moving from great disability to complete helplessness from a severe stroke followed by many other health events. A 50 year relationship has ups and downs but at the end, its the good things that stand out. I was happy for her to be free of her broken body, but also am surprisingly sad at her loss. I hope I can say a few words, but not sure I can. We'll see. Larry has lost the last member of his family of birth and it's a very hard thing. I know my own mom was devastated when her last brother died.  I know how odd it felt to me to lose every family member from the previous generation as they took all the answers to ordinary lives with them. Her spirit will be missed even though it seemed so trapped for so long.

I reflect on my very imperfect self at this time as well. She leaves her daughter the last member of her own birth family, our dear niece, Elizabeth whom we have loved forever.

addition. Trudi's visitation and funeral were tremendously healing. Rebecca Z is a fantastic reverend and 6 family members spoke including me. Trudi had a spotify playlist of 53 songs! her final send off was a New Orleans second line, Just a Closer Walk with Thee-- surprising, loud and moving. Members of every kind of family and friends were there-- exes of exes, friends from second grande. family from far and wide. All my children in one place at one time.