2018 Onward and Upward

Last week, he came early.  Dressed well as always, though perhaps bent a little farther than before, he took a bulletin and made his way to the pew he and his wife had occupied this past year when getting up to the altar became too hard.  Walking further into the church didn't seem worth the effort when speakers let him hear the sermon and the priest would bring communion to them where they sat. Sitting there, he was soon surrounded by people coming by to say hello and to inquire after his health.  When the first chords of the prelude began, the small crowd dispersed to their various seats, leaving him alone in the pew once more. At the Peace, our congregation likes to greet each other.  Sometimes it's somewhat abbreviated and other times it goes on for a while.  This week it was somewhere in the middle.  Long enough that I could make my way to his pew and wish him peace.  As I shook his hand and looked into his eyes, I could see the sadness and the new loneliness that a

The days are long...  but the years are short.  And before you know it, time has passed and the world has moved on. A few weeks ago, my son bought himself a car.  A very nice car. I co-signed the loan for him so that he can begin building credit (when they ran the credit check, he came back with zero).  Car loans are considered good credit.  If he makes his payments on time and in full, he'll have a good credit record in a year.  A week after buying the car, he went off for a week-long training session so that he can get a better job than pizza delivery.  One that pays better and won't kill his new car. And then came this week.  He's been yearning to move out on his own and finally has the ability to do so.  He found a little apartment (and I mean tiny ), did the application and paid the fee.  I was guarantor on this as well with the understanding that he would NOT leave me hanging on the rent.  He gave me a look and said "Mom... you know me better than that.&qu