Plummeting

23 Replies

Plummeting

The weekend before, we had had our last moving sale and had nearly cleared out our very overladen house in California.  We’d sold as much of our accumulated lives as possible–a 125 years (sum of our two ages) combined total of collecting art as well as material and tools for making art.  We were shedding the detritus of our old lives to begin a new life in the house we had just purchased in Mexico.  Our van was fully packed with not one inch of spare space other than a place for our cat and two more suitcases we would add when we finally took off for our retirement in Mexico.  We had only one more appointment–to talk to our doctor about the results of Bob’s last physical examination, which had included an ultrasound.

We’d been on a high for months as we prepared to head out for our new dream life, but that dream turned into a nightmare as the doctor announced his verdict.  Pancreatic cancer.  He told us that Bob had 4 to 9 months to live.  He actually lived only 3 more weeks.

(Update: Based on all the comments I’ve received, I have posted an addendum here.)

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Mountaintops and Valleys.” Describe a time when you quickly switched from feeling at the top of the world to sinking all the way down (or vice versa). Did you learn anything about yourself in the process?

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

23 thoughts on “Plummeting”

  11. lifelessons Post author

    I was in such a hurry because we needed to leave to drive to Guadalajara to buy the costumes for the girls’ dance class, so I neglected to see I was supposed to write what I had learned from the experience..I will perhaps do that later. Thanks for your response!

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    1. lifelessons Post author

      It was…14 years ago. Many changes since then, however, and I’m very happy in my new life. Even without Bob. He would have loved it…That was always my main thought–even more than missing him. Just, “Damn! He would have loved this!” The message is not to wait. Do what you want to do ask soon as you possibly can. He put off retirement for fear that we couldn’t live without working. He waited too long.

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  15. lifelessons Post author

    Reblogged this on lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown and commented:

    Three years ago, I wrote a blog entitled “Plummeting.” Although it describes an event that occurred almost seventeen years ago, the subject is still a timely one, so I’m going to reblog it. It is linked to a blog entitled “Soaring” that completes the message.
    Please join the Daily Addiction prompt site. It is easy and they post consistently. Today’s  prompt word, as you might have guessed, is plummet.

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