(This summer has been so busy! Soooo much has happened this summer and I just haven't had time to post about it all - J.'s 8th birthday, the girls' dance recitals, Scout Day Camp, K. leaving for EFY - I'm sure I'm forgetting something! The 4th of July weekend is coming up, G.'s birthday, family coming to visit...whew! Anyway, this is a draft that I had started and never got around to posting. Here it is now...)
Earlier this week, I had a thought that we hadn't heard about Aunt Judy in awhile. Jess had recently talked to his parents, so I asked if they had mentioned how she was doing. They hadn't, so I thought maybe I should just send a 'hello' card. I know that in the past there had been many disagreeable situations that involved Aunt Judy and the family (she had sent us a belated Christmas card one year with a "by the way Grandma Dorothy (her mother, whom we loved) died earlier this year, in case you hadn't heard...) but she's still family. And everyone deserves to know that they are thought of, right?!
As usual, I put the thought on the 'to do' list and figured I'd make time for the card later. I still needed to finish up some swaps and actually clean up my craft room.
Thursday (June 26th) I'm sitting around dishing with my hubby and decided to check my email only to find something from the SIL with the subject line "Aunt Judy". I just knew when I saw that email what it was going to say.
(This wasn't the first time I had been prompted to contact loved ones, seemingly out of the blue, and then find out that they had passed away shortly after. Not saying I've got special powers or anything. Only that several times I've been given a reminder and opportunity to act upon a prompting about a loved one...of course, even if I had acted immediately on this one, the card wouldn't have gotten there in time. Certainly doesn't lessen the guilt, but that's another post!)
Apparently she had gone into the hospital for knee surgery and had a complication a few days afterwards. I don't know the whole story, but it's my understanding that her boys were able to be there before she passed away.
I didn't know Aunt Judy very well. She moved to AK only a few years before we left, but she had certainly left an impression! A woman full of vim & vigor...We'll miss you, Aunt Judy, give Uncle Butch a holler for us when you see him!
