OT: My Christmas Letter
I sent this out to those whose email addresses I had, so for those whose address I did not have. . . .
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! The holiday season is upon us and while this year I meant to send out cards to all, it seems to have come so quickly that I never found the time, so I am going to try something new, as others have done in the past and I like the idea of it, a letter about the happenings over the last year and all I have to be grateful for this holiday season. My son, Jeff, and his family, wife, Lori, son Vaughn, returned from Germany earlier this year. After a career move in January 07 brought him there, it was a two year commitment and while there, they added to their family, when in June of 07 Miss Avery Grace was born making them a family of four. While there, their parents made lots of memories traveling all over Europe, as their time allowed. Happily they are home now where both families can enjoy watching Avery & Vaughn grow, and create more family memories. In February, Dillinger, my dear four-legged son, collapsed, had surgery and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and given three months to live. I brought him home and just asked God to give us some good time together and we were granted more than I could have dreamed of. I put my life on hold, no vacations, most of my free time was spent loving and being with Dillinger. It was a sacrifice I made willingly with love and one that was repaid 10 fold. Dillinger lived so much longer, that the vet thought there might have been an error in the pathology report. A 2nd surgery the day after his 13th birthday, to remove a growth on his front paw that had become an impediment, proved to be a mastitis of the earlier diagnosis. He gave all he had and on November 29th, a very rare and warm day, after spending the afternoon on our back porch, lying in the sun, something he loved to do, it became evident that the kindest of things to be done was to hold him and let him go peacefully. My heart still hurts from that loss, but life goes on and last night I brought home a new furfaced friend, her name is Roxie and I believe that God and the spirit of love that was Dillinger, brought us together. She was surrendered to the pound on the very day dear Dillinger was given his final rest, more coincidences, his birthday was 11/15 and her’s is 1/15. She is sweet and seems well trained, her former owner may not have been able to keep her, but took the time to train her well and she seems to be adjusting to her new home, with the love I and my roommate have to shower upon her. If you have a love and room, please rescue a wonderful animal that needs a new forever home! In March, I was laid off, along with 299 other employees. It was devastating, I had been there almost 13 years and thought I was secure, but as many have found in recent times, there is very little security in the job market today. I chose to look at it as a blessing, believing that it gave me a guilt free way to be home and care for Dillinger, as this happened just two weeks after his near fatal collapse. I also believed that it would get me a job closer to home and give me an opportunity that I probably never would have sought out. It was scary at times, as I was also in the midst of home renovation that was, while affordably done, made me wonder at times if I was renovating the home for someone else. But faith and a deep belief that all would work out so long as I kept putting in the footwork, which I did daily, finally prevailed and the Tuesday after Memorial Day I started a new job in Wilmington, Delaware, which to some seems a far distance, but where I once left for work at 6 a.m., spending 5 hours daily commuting, I don’t get up until 6:15 now. It has given me more time to live my life. Last week, I went to Florida, my son and his family also were there, it was to celebrate my daughter, Angela’s, accomplishment of the last 4 or 5 years of hard work on her part, as she graduated nursing school and will be sitting for her boards sometime in the near future. I am extremely proud of all the hard work she has put into this dream she worked towards. I know, with her good heart and the knowledge she now has, she will be a great nurse! My older daughter, Marlene, has had a rough year financially, who hasn’t, but she continues to do her best, has 2 wonderful children, Samantha & Dylan, a stepson, Jeffrey, through her wonderful boyfriend, Jeff, and they had a little added bonus last week, when one of their two dogs, they have a Biijon/Maltese (Lily) and a Biijon (Brody), who gave birth to 3 puppies, who are just adorable and I got to see them last week when I was in Florida. Today I am grateful for the life I have, I am healthy, have a job that helps me pay the bills for the “material possessions" in my life. My blessings are many and I’ve just shared some of them with you and if you are receiving this, I want to say that you’ve enriched my life with your friendship or by blood relation. I’ve been blessed by the support of all of you throughout the last year and I want to say to thank you to each and everyone of you. . . Merry Christmas and if you are not celebrating this holiday, whatever one you do celebrate, may your blessings be many and may the life experiences that have challenged you, help you to know that you are stronger than you think and when you need a shoulder, I will be here. With warm wishes, Laureen
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! The holiday season is upon us and while this year I meant to send out cards to all, it seems to have come so quickly that I never found the time, so I am going to try something new, as others have done in the past and I like the idea of it, a letter about the happenings over the last year and all I have to be grateful for this holiday season. My son, Jeff, and his family, wife, Lori, son Vaughn, returned from Germany earlier this year. After a career move in January 07 brought him there, it was a two year commitment and while there, they added to their family, when in June of 07 Miss Avery Grace was born making them a family of four. While there, their parents made lots of memories traveling all over Europe, as their time allowed. Happily they are home now where both families can enjoy watching Avery & Vaughn grow, and create more family memories. In February, Dillinger, my dear four-legged son, collapsed, had surgery and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and given three months to live. I brought him home and just asked God to give us some good time together and we were granted more than I could have dreamed of. I put my life on hold, no vacations, most of my free time was spent loving and being with Dillinger. It was a sacrifice I made willingly with love and one that was repaid 10 fold. Dillinger lived so much longer, that the vet thought there might have been an error in the pathology report. A 2nd surgery the day after his 13th birthday, to remove a growth on his front paw that had become an impediment, proved to be a mastitis of the earlier diagnosis. He gave all he had and on November 29th, a very rare and warm day, after spending the afternoon on our back porch, lying in the sun, something he loved to do, it became evident that the kindest of things to be done was to hold him and let him go peacefully. My heart still hurts from that loss, but life goes on and last night I brought home a new furfaced friend, her name is Roxie and I believe that God and the spirit of love that was Dillinger, brought us together. She was surrendered to the pound on the very day dear Dillinger was given his final rest, more coincidences, his birthday was 11/15 and her’s is 1/15. She is sweet and seems well trained, her former owner may not have been able to keep her, but took the time to train her well and she seems to be adjusting to her new home, with the love I and my roommate have to shower upon her. If you have a love and room, please rescue a wonderful animal that needs a new forever home! In March, I was laid off, along with 299 other employees. It was devastating, I had been there almost 13 years and thought I was secure, but as many have found in recent times, there is very little security in the job market today. I chose to look at it as a blessing, believing that it gave me a guilt free way to be home and care for Dillinger, as this happened just two weeks after his near fatal collapse. I also believed that it would get me a job closer to home and give me an opportunity that I probably never would have sought out. It was scary at times, as I was also in the midst of home renovation that was, while affordably done, made me wonder at times if I was renovating the home for someone else. But faith and a deep belief that all would work out so long as I kept putting in the footwork, which I did daily, finally prevailed and the Tuesday after Memorial Day I started a new job in Wilmington, Delaware, which to some seems a far distance, but where I once left for work at 6 a.m., spending 5 hours daily commuting, I don’t get up until 6:15 now. It has given me more time to live my life. Last week, I went to Florida, my son and his family also were there, it was to celebrate my daughter, Angela’s, accomplishment of the last 4 or 5 years of hard work on her part, as she graduated nursing school and will be sitting for her boards sometime in the near future. I am extremely proud of all the hard work she has put into this dream she worked towards. I know, with her good heart and the knowledge she now has, she will be a great nurse! My older daughter, Marlene, has had a rough year financially, who hasn’t, but she continues to do her best, has 2 wonderful children, Samantha & Dylan, a stepson, Jeffrey, through her wonderful boyfriend, Jeff, and they had a little added bonus last week, when one of their two dogs, they have a Biijon/Maltese (Lily) and a Biijon (Brody), who gave birth to 3 puppies, who are just adorable and I got to see them last week when I was in Florida. Today I am grateful for the life I have, I am healthy, have a job that helps me pay the bills for the “material possessions" in my life. My blessings are many and I’ve just shared some of them with you and if you are receiving this, I want to say that you’ve enriched my life with your friendship or by blood relation. I’ve been blessed by the support of all of you throughout the last year and I want to say to thank you to each and everyone of you. . . Merry Christmas and if you are not celebrating this holiday, whatever one you do celebrate, may your blessings be many and may the life experiences that have challenged you, help you to know that you are stronger than you think and when you need a shoulder, I will be here. With warm wishes, Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Laureen! My Dallas Sistah!!
I am so grateful to have met you in person and that I have you in my life!!
Merry Christmas to you and yours and a special hug to the newest member of the family, Roxie!
I am so grateful to have met you in person and that I have you in my life!!
Merry Christmas to you and yours and a special hug to the newest member of the family, Roxie!
back in Galveston
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“Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm?
Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.
John Wayne
OH Support Group Leader
Laureen,
Thank you for sharing your story of your fur-baby Dillon! I too had a lovely fur-baby, and she lived to 14 years of age, at which time we had to take her to a vet to put to sleep. I was heart broken to have to do so, but she was inflicted with doggy dementia. There is a lovely poem that I would love to send you, but you would be able to find it on-line easily. Just put in your web browser The New Rainbow Bridge. Please do this when you have the time to really read it. The vet who put my "old gal" to sleep sent me a copy of it. It is a tear jerker so have some puffs ready. Please accept my condolences and love Roxie with all of your heart as dogs are the best people. They want to do nothing but please us. I will forever miss my "old gal" and know there will never be another like her, but that won't stop me from having dogs for the rest of my life.
Thanks again! Michelle
(deactivated member)
on 12/26/09 6:03 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
on 12/26/09 6:03 am - West Central FL☼RIDA , FL
What a beautiful letter....thanks for sharing.
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