Happy New Year everybody!
"My life ... is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." - Gilda Radner
Sigh. That's a true statement and really sums up living before, during and after cancer. When I read this quote I initially thought of how applicable it was to my life and then realized it's true for everyone else too. No one has a guarantee of how their day, week, year or life will be.
Garrett and I had a fun New Year's Eve together. We had pizza, banged pots and pans (at 6:30 so we could vacuum for the night, let him have a bath and still make normal bedtime), did party poppers and other confetti inducing things (refer to the earlier reference to vacuuming), had balloons up along with Happy New Year signs (it's a tradition to have them homemade with a Sharpie marker) and took a bunch of pictures. I'll admit there was relief mixed with some melancholy with leaving 2005 and some trepidation with what awaits in 2006. Not as much anxiety though as I had heading into 2005. I just felt last December that 2005 would be rough and it lived up to my expectations, but there is some mild hesitancy with 2006. I guess like the above quote says you just don't know what going to happen next.
I plan on doing one more email update at the end of this month at the one year anniversary of Jade's passing. After that I think I'll do an update every few months or so since I want to keep the journal on the website current but just not monthly.
"All of us learn to write in the second grade.
Most of us go on to greater things."
- Bobby Knight (yes, the basketball coach)
That quote made me laugh since I've never, ever, ever had any desire to write a book. (Not to mention discussing and processing the interpersonal and leadership skills of Coach Knight could take most of a lunch hour.) With all that said, I have spent the past nine months working on compiling these emails from the past three years into a book. (No real new information, but mostly cutting/pasting the emails.) I honestly didn't want to but finally decided that it was a good, concise way to preserve this part of our life for Garrett one day. In addition to other resources available to him, I want him to know of the health issues Jade faced, the medical decisions/procedures, the unspeakable kindness of friends, family members, neighbors, co-workers and strangers and the joys and sorrows that came to us on this journey. So, I will be sending in the manuscript and about 25 photos into the publisher the first week of February 2006. In about 40 to 60 days after that I'll get back a softback, 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 book that will have close to 450 pages. If you are interested in one, let me know. This has been a labor of love with Garrett in mind but some of you have expressed interest during the year, so just call or email.
I hope you've all had a good holiday weekend. Garrett is already asking what the next holiday is. He has loved this past month, which is good. Thanks for all your love and support during the past few weeks. Happy New Year and know we love ya!
Love ................. Tanya and co.
