In sunny Florida, but not for long

Norma Jean, Icarus, and golf cart

I arrived here in Florida after a fairly grueling day of travel, but the really hard part has been all the family turmoil going on behind the scenes. My sister PJ passed away late Saturday or early Sunday. I found out about it while I was writing my usual Sunday morning post on my other blog. I was almost finished with it and at the last minute I found a picture of PJ that I took at our last reunion and posted it. After a flurry of back-and-forth telephone calls, it was decided that I would go ahead and travel to Florida and once we knew the plans for the week, we would fly to Texas to be with our family as we arrange for a memorial for her. PJ's two sons and her husband are in charge of details, and Norma Jean and I will fly out of here on Thursday, the day after tomorrow, to a very cold and blustery Dallas area.

Norma Jean and my sister in Canada will both return home on Monday, and I will stay in Texas with my relatives there until my original return flight on the 12th. So, it's today and tomorrow here, then off to deal with the trauma we are all facing regarding the loss of the first sibling of six of us. I thought it was last fall when PJ had a serious heart attack, but I learned it was actually in the spring, and she had survived for almost a year before succumbing to another, final episode on Saturday. She was rushed to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do for her.

Last night the family all had a group call on Skype (audio only) and we worked out the details of when we would have the memorial service. It looks like it will be this Saturday. There just didn't seem to be any reason for me to return to Florida for one day and then travel back home the day after that. This is not the vacation I was expecting, but one does what one must when life's exigencies require it. Three years ago, I spent three weeks with Norma Jean after her husband Pete died, and now this. At least we will all be together and can support each other through this trying time.

Today and tomorrow I will make an attempt to soak up as much of the Florida sunshine as I can. This morning I joined Norma Jean in her usual swim at the Y, although I was only able to swim for half as long as she did. Tomorrow we will do the same, and then early on Thursday we will travel to Texas to be with the rest of our siblings and their family. This morning we went through all the old family pictures Norma Jean had from over the years, looking for pictures of our sister to share with the others, captured moments with PJ that the others might not have seen.

Patricia June Stewart Merrill 1950–2014

I took this picture of PJ at our Thanksgiving feast in 2012. It was the last time that the six of us were all together, and although it will be hard, we will share the sorrow with one another, and remember the very special person she was. I will probably miss my usual Thursday post because of travel, but you never know. Be well, hug your family, and give thanks for this wonderful day, until we meet again.
:-}