Fall is usually my favorite season….

…but this year it hasn’t been so great.   The first day of fall started out with Cole having a play date with his BFF, Joey.  They are so funny together.  While they were playing in the backyard with Hannah I got a call that I will NEVER forget.  It was from my oldest sister, Marsha.  We had been texting back and forth all morning so I didn’t think twice about it, but when I answered the phone she asked “what are you doing?” I could tell she was crying.  At first I thought something was wrong with one of her kids, but when I asked “What’s wrong?”, never in a million years did I expect the response “Chris (our brother) was killed in a plane crash.”  (He had purchased a plane in August, the 2nd one he has owned.)  I immediately went numb.   Just then my boss called so I hung up with Marsha to talk to Pat, and as soon as I said the words “my brother was just killed in a plane crash” I lost it and started crying.  I called my older kids, Amanda, (Chris was her Godfather) and James.    Then I spoke with Marsha again and coordinated making the phone calls to aunts, uncles and cousins.   I called my cousin, Franny, who lives about 15 minutes away from my sister-in-law and nieces in Texas.   She said she would call her brother and sister and let them know.  While in Denver a couple of weeks ago, I found out that Garrett was actually at my mother’s cousin’s house when Franny called him to tell him.  He gave the phone to my cousin Patti, because he didn’t know how to handle it and Patti was able to relay the information to several cousins who were together at the time. 

Fortunately the kids were still playing outside and I got a text from Joey’s mom (my dear friend Becky) saying they had gotten home.  We were supposed to head over there to watch the LSU game.  I texted her and asked if she could come pick Joey up and told her about Chris.  While we waited for her to come, I was still numb but Cole and Hannah asked why I was crying.   I told them about their uncle and Hannah said “I’m going to ring a bell so he can get his wings.”  It took me a minute to realize what she was saying, because I was still of the mindset of the plane and not an angel getting their wings.  She was so sweet.  They both talked about my sweet little nieces, Taylor (age 5) and Victoria (age 2).  She came over and took Joey, and offered to take Cole and Hannah.  At that point I didn’t want to be alone so the kids stayed home with me.  

A little while later Amanda called to tell me she found an article online about the crash. I texted Becky to see if I could go to her house and get online (I have internet at home, but my laptop is broken…I really need to get it fixed).   She and Kirk were AMAZING!!!  Even their dog, Scrappy, could tell something was wrong because the normally hyper dog just came and lay down next to me on the couch.  

While I was at Becky’s my aunt called me to tell me that my grandmother had fallen and hurt her arm.   She was at the emergency room so they hadn’t told her about Chris yet.   They wanted her to settle down before they told her.  The next morning my aunt and uncle conference called her and told her.  Later that day she fell 2 more times and ended up with a black eye, bruised face and arms.   My Grammy is 95 years old (will be 96 in January), is legally blind and lives alone in a senior community.   

So here I was worried about my grandmother and my heart was breaking for my sister-in-law, Sarah, and my nieces.

Since my dad died in 2009, my four siblings and myself became so much closer.   I hadn’t talked to Chris in a while but had texted back and forth around Hurricane Isaac.  I was going to evacuate to his house in Argyle, Texas if the storm was a Cat 2 or higher.   Had I known I would be without power for 5 days and my brother would be gone 3 weeks later, I would have definitely gone. 

We traveled to Argyle/Denton, Texas to attend the services and there were two things that impressed me so much.  First – The people from my brother’s church and town that came out to support my sister-in-law was amazing.  God definitely put them in the right place to go through this tragedy.  Second – was my sister-in-law.  Her strength and grace impressed me.   They had been married 6 years and together 10 years.    I was also able to catch up with family and friends of Chris’ who I hadn’t seen in a while. 

10 days after Chris died, heaven got another angel.  My uncle, Kevin Barry, passed away after a lengthy illness.   He married my aunt, Anne-Marie, when I was 8 or 9, taught us sign language (he became deaf after contracting meningitis when he was 16.  He lost all of his senses and all but his hearing returned). 

I know Mom and Dad were waiting with open arms for both of them.

Sunday night I got a call from my Godmother in Maine.  She said “I have some bad news”.  Her son, David (46) had suffered a heart attack Friday.  The good news is he has had 2 stents inserted and will be going home today.  I don’t think I could take any more loss this year.

This is a season of being thankful, and as tough as this fall as been.  Well, actually these last few years, I am very thankful for my friends and family and the blessings God continues to bestow on me.  I am also thankful that if it was Chris' time to go, he went doing what he loved to do...FLY!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!