[img]1325|left|Alex Campbell ||no_popup[/img]Dateline Boston — November 2012 has not been a great month for my family. Things went from bad to worse. During my annual art show, I didn’t even make enough money to cover the cost of the table I rented. Our car bit the dust. My husband got laid off.
After several visits in and out of the hospital, my mother-in-law passed away. The very next day, unexpectedly, my aunt died. When I got the call that dear Aunt Penny succumbed to a sudden heart attack, I almost laughed out loud at the absurdity. Was this some sort of crazy test of our new marriage?
I took a deep breath and a day off before H and I made our plans. He would mourn his mother’s death with his family, I would mourn my aunt’s death with mine. We spent Thanksgiving apart.
Well, November is almost over and I can see the light through the clouds. There’s nowhere to go from here but up. Didn’t make money at my last art show? I’ve got another one coming up in December. Our car has 190,000 miles on it; it’s a miracle it’s made it this long. I’ll be happy to say goodbye to the oil guzzling beast, faithful as it was. In the meantime, we walk more and rent a car only when we absolutely need it. We’re saving the environment!
Since H lost his job, we’ve spent a lot more time together. We take walks, he helps me nanny (my charge declared her love for him after a recent visit), and we’ve had many more conversations. It’s been wonderful to spend so much time with him.
I lived with my aunt for a year when I was 12; she was a mom to me. My mother-in-law asked me to call her Mom, even before H and I were engaged. The last time I saw H’s mom, she was not in the hospital, which was nice. The last time I saw my aunt, I gave her a big hug and told her I loved her. I am so blessed to have had these two moms in my life. They were both at our wedding. I will cherish that memory forever. H and I both pulled together pretty good Thanksgivings, against all odds.
Yes, November 2012 will go down as one of the worst months in recent family history, but December and then 2013 is on the way. Here’s to a new, brighter, and more fruitful year!
Ms. Vaillancourt may be contacted at snobbyblog@gmail.com
