She did it!

She did it! Katrina got married! It was a beautiful wedding and we all had a great weekend. People came and went continually: laughing, planning, working, playing, eating and well...eating some more. At one point we had thirty people moving about like too many fish in an overcrowded tank. Outdoor dining was intercepted by drizzly cold weather. But the wedding was on!

Susan wore her new black dress with cream-colored flowers that embraced her neck. Of course, she suffered all her usual issues, like aches and pains, swollen feet and the feeling of cold. And rightly so, we have been twenty degrees below the average all week. It has been overcast and misty, not good conditions for an arthritic sundowners senior citizen. But she attended the wedding and participated (to some degree) in most of the festivities, even when she wasn’t exactly sure why she was there or for whom we were celebrating. Good job, Susan.

What she most looked forward to was the visit from Stefanie, her youngest daughter. I think she pushed herself to stay up and sit and talk because Stefanie was here and Susan was happy about that. She misses Stefanie when she is not here, but almost forgets how to enjoy their time together when she does visit. Still, Stefanie was clearly her favorite part of the weekend.




It is over now, things cleaned up, centerpieces taken down and put away. The house is somber as Katrina and her Kyle prepare the trip into their future. Their departure (in four hours) will create an empty space here for Jeff and myself to attempt to rework. My brain wants to sob, so I redirect my heart into rejoicing with anticipation of the adventures and joy Katrina and Kyle have ahead of them. And those of us left behind will just keep going on for now- with Susan.

As for Susan, she doesn’t remember yesterdays wedding, days of company, or any of the other moments we all shared this weekend. She likes the flowers though, the wedding flowers that are scattered prettily about the house attempting to cheer us up. Likely they won’t, but perhaps the aroma of the fresh sweet buds will at least bring a bit of fresh air into her life.