The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Francesca Saverio Cabrini.
This is the final entry of my memorable moments of 2010. I know I wasn't going to rate my moments but the first one mentioned today really is my favorite moment of the year.
My uncle Frank & my Aunt Velma had four children. Dixie, Denny, Debbie, and Dave. The beautiful Debbie died at the much to young of age of fourteen. Their family and our family always lived in the same city growing up. We all celebrated holidays together. Frank and Velma were a second set of parents. Dixie, Denny, Debbie until she passed away, and Dave were not cousins but a second set of siblings.
I hadn't seen Dixie since my Dad's memorial. I hadn't seen Frank and Velma since the year before dad died. Mom hadn't seen her brother since then either. Frank is her only sibling. In September bless Dixie's heart she brought Frank here to see Mom and I. It was a great reunion. We had a blast. As great as the visit was it was also a wave of emotions. I had never cried about losing Dad. This was the third most read post on the blog in 2010 barely beating out "Things I Learned From My Dad." Here is the report of Frank and Dixie's visit:
http://thedahnreport.blogspot.com/2010/09/stark-realities.html
The week before Thanksgiving I decided to make some changes. I decided I need a new suit. This time I was going for the gusto. I wasn't go to go cheap I was going good quality. I set out to buy an Armani but the salesman and the tailor convinced me that the Canali suit was better made than the Armani and you wouldn't be paying for the brand name. I didn't go cheap, I went stylish. I started my year of saying yes with this new suit:
The final memorable moment was just a couple of weeks ago. As we all discussed when you become a caregiver you often lose yourself. You also isolate yourself. I had been isolating myself for several years now. I decided after observing a year Lian Dolan, the hostess of The Chaos Chronicles Blog, lived using her "Let Her Rip" motto that I was going to take inspiration from her and adopt my own motto for next year. Just say yes.
As luck would have it Lian was having a book signing at Powell's for her first novel, HELEN OF PASADENA, not from where I live. Her sister Monica was going to introduce her. This is exactly the type of event in the past I would have wanted go to but would have talked myself out of it. I would have found every excuse in the book not to attend. I spent most the day trying to talk myself out of going but I sucked it up, put on my new suit and went to the signing. It was one of the most fun evenings that I have had in a very long time. Lian and Monica were just so doggone nice. If I had a choice of having someone put a lighted match under each one of my fingers and toes or take my picture I'd choose the matches every single time. Except at the book signing I really wanted my picture taken with Lian. This is the picture her sister Monica took. Great picture of Lian, not so great of me.
I've been kicking myself in the hindquarters since then for not also having a picture taken with Monica.
That was my 2010 in three narcissistic posts. Thank you for bearing with me! Your comments are appreciated.
PS
Remember you can share your memorable moments at any time on the blog. You can also be the guest blogger for a day and tell us your memorable moments in the form of a blog entry. Just email me at williamjdahn@aol.com. Also remember that on any picture on the blog you can enlarge it by clicking it.
4 comments:
I think your year was great what with all the good times you had with family. I think it is great you can share your reunions with us.
I also think you sharing your new suit buy with us was nice. I think you are off to a great start of stepping out & saying yes. I am wishing you much success with that and hope all your dreams come true.
While it may not seem a memorable event to anyone else, my very lengthy conversation with my oldest nephew (25) on Thanksgiving. Being on opposite sides of the country and the kids being so busy, we rarely see them or get to talk. We spent over an hour and I heard all about his job (doing flora inventory in wilderness areas and state parks), where he's often totally isolated for ten days at a time and how much he enjoys it and his hopes and plans for the future and what he's doing to make those happen. Just remembering the conversation can bring a smile to my face.
In thinking about Bill's suggestion, I realize I have many, many memorable moments, rather than events. The smile on someone's face, when they ask for suggestions at the pool, the help I've received when asking for advice or references at the pool, the movie nights with Himself, being told my back was fine and I'd never need surgery, thank you notes from clients... so many moments that made a day look brighter and happier. Bill, thank you for helping me stop and smell all the roses that have been along the pathway the past year.
Hi Dona
Thanks for your upper message.
It was a great year and 2011 will be better now that I am motivated and look like a stud in my new suit. Just kidding.
I am really hoping that your 2011 will be great and you will finally get help or relief from your dad.
Bill
Hi DR
It is always a risk when I do three posts in a row that are basically all about me and my year. But two things encouraged me to do it. The most read posts were ones about personal experiences or personal realizations. The other reason it I wanted people to look back at their years and realize that the year really was pretty darn good.
Like the conversation with the nephew I view as a huge memorable event. Certainly more important than me buying a suit.
Moments are not different than events. In fact a memorable moment is an event!
And thank you for your nice post
Bill
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