SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR MOO, HER MOO

I FEEL LILKE I HAVE SAID THIS WAY TOO MANY TIMES

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS...

"MY MOMMA ALWAYS SAID HARDEST PART OF GROWING

OLD WAS HAVING TO WATCH ALL THOSE YOU LOVE DIE"

 I REALLY DIDN'T THINK OF IT MUCH WHILE SHE WAS AGING.

IT BECAME REALITY FOR ME AFTER MY SISTER, SIMONE DIED.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, COMES THE BLOG I WISH I WOULD 

NEVER HAVE HAD TO WRITE.

DECEMBER 26TH, 2024 WILL BE ONE THAT WILL FOREVER

BE CHANGED IN MY AND SO MANY OTHERS LIVES.

THE MORNING STARTED OFF LIKE MOST OTHER

MORNINGS, THE BESTIES, LAURIE AND ANN AND I TEXTING.

ANN'S HUBBY MOODY HAD JUST HAD SHOULDER SURGERY 

THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND WE WERE CHECKING ON EACH OTHER.

AFTER GETTING THE ALL CLEAR THAT MOO HAD A GOOD NIGHT

WITH LITTLE PAIN, WE BEGAN OUR DAY.

HOURS LATER WE GET THE CALL THAT HAS CHANGED ANN'S LIFE;

MOODY PASSED AWAY ON THATVERY, THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

WE, US BESTIES, HAVING BEEN FRIENDS SINCE SECOND GRADE

HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER.

MARRIAGES, BABIES, HEART ACHE, DEATH OF PARENTS,

LOSS OF CHILDREN...

BUT NOTHING CAN PREPARE US FOR ONE OF OUR BESTIES

BIGGEST HEART ACHE, THE DEATH OF HER SPOUSE.

MOODY BECAME PART OF OUR WORLD WHEN WE WERE YOUJNG ADULTS.

I HAD JUST BEGAN MY NURSING CAREER, AND RONNIE (EXHUBBY)

WAS JUST DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY AND HAD

BEGAN WORKING WITH "THIS NAVY GUY FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE"

LAURIE WAS ALREADY MARRIED, RONNIE AND I WERE

LIVING TOGETHER SO IT MADE PERFECT SENSE THAT

THESE TWO SINGLE PEOPLE SHOULD MEET.

FROM THAT VERY FIRST DATE, IT BECAME

'ANN AND MOO"

THELY WERE A SOLID COUPLE AND MARRIED QUICKLY AFTER.

MOO WAS ALWAYS SUCH A HANDSOME FELLOW AND

REMAINED THAT WAY FOREVER.

HE WAS A MAN OF FEW WORDS BUT WHEN HE SPOKE,

YOU CAN BET IT WAS GOING TO MAKE YOU LAUGH.

WE ALL BEGAN RAISING OUR CHILDREN, 

MY RODDIE AND THEIR RUSS BECAME CHILDHOOD FRIENDS

AND IF ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN WERE THERE, YOU CAN BET

MOODY WAS GOING TO BE THERE TOO.

HE LOVED NOT ONLY HIS FAMILY BUT HIS EXTENDED

FAMILY HE FOUND IN ANN'S BIG FAMILY.

HE WAS A MAN OF HONOR, A MAN WHO LOVED OUR BESTIE 

LIKE NO ONE ELSE COULD.

HOW DO YOU COMFORT A FRIEND WHO HAS UNEXPECTEDLY BECOME A WIDOWER?

I AM NOT SURE HOW, BUT WE WILL.

THE THREE OF US, ANN, LAURIE AND MYSELF

HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT TOGETHER AND THAT WILL NOT CHANGE.

OUR LIVES GOING FORWARD HAS CHANGED AND

LIKE MY MOMMA TRIED TO TELL US,

THIS IS BY FAR THE HARDEST PART OF GROWING OLDER.

I WILL USE THIS TIME AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE WORDS OF ADVICE.

MAKE AMENDS... WHETHER YOU ARE RIGHT OR WRONG, MAKE AMENDS.

DON'T LET ANYTHING COME BETWEEN THOSE YOU LOVE.

AS DR. PHIL ALWAYS SAYS,

"DO YOU WANT TO BE RIGHT OR DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?"

CHOOSE HAPPY...

DON'T LET ONE DAY GO BY THAT YOU HAVE AN ENEMY.

WHETHER THEY ACCEPT IT OR NOT, FORGIVE AND MAKE AMENDS

FOR YOURSELF. I PROMISE YOU WILL FEEL BETTER AND SLEEP EVEN BETTER.

MAKE THE VISITS AND TREAT EACH ON AS IF IT MAY BE YOUR LAST.

US BESTIES GOT TOGETHER AT ANN AND MOODY'S HOME ON 12/23.

WE KNEW MOO WOULD HAVE SURGERY ON CHRISTMAS EVE

AND WE FELT THE NEED TO GET TOGETHER BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

WHILE THERE, WE ATE, PLAYED GAMES, HAD COFFEE, ATE.

(WE EAT A LOT)

THROUGH IT ALL, OUR MOO WAS IN THE BACKGROUND

COMING TO CHECK ON US EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

NEVER DID ANY OF US THINK IT WOULD BE OUR LAST TIME

TOGETHER LIKE THAT.

LOVE YOUR FAMILY, LOVE YOUR FRIENDS,

LET 2025 BE THE YEAR FOR REKINDLING FRIENDSHIPS

AND PLEASE, SAY SOME PRAYERS FOR OUR DEAR

BESTIE, ANN AND HER BOYS AND FAMILY.

WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASONS WHY THINGS HAPPEN

BUT I  CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE BETTER THINGS

FOR US ALL AFTER THIS LIFE.

WE WILL MOURN AND BE SAD BUT WE KNOW,

WHATEVER AWAITS FOR US AFTER THIS LIFE,

MOO WILL BE THERE AWAITING US.

TILL WE MEET AGAIN MY FRIEND,

WATCH OVER US ALL.