Jack's obituary can be found here. He has been gone two weeks today. Julie was able to attend his funeral, being allowed a few hours window of opportunity to say her final good bye to him at the cemetery. Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, SC made a policy just for her so that she could be allowed away from her hospital bed without being discharged from the center and then having to undergo a new admission. Seems the two of them were always changing policy, and from the number of conversations that I have been privileged to share since his death, they were also accustomed to converting mind sets about physical disabilities as well.
Julie was transferred to White Oak Manor in York, South Carolina where she remains. Her pressure wounds are a bit worse for the transfer, as is her physical condition. Her spirits are becoming more hopeful. The one concern now is transporting her back to Grand Junction either through Angel Flight or Charity Care Flight. Nothing is quick about this process, but I trust it is all in God's Time.
If one is aware, looking for little miracles, they occur daily while I have been in York. The first sign that God takes care of even the most minor of details was when I was clearing debris from their yard; fallen branches from oak trees, trimmings from hedges that I had cut one morning, that kind of yard pollution. As I had it in my arms wondering where to put the dead foliage and heavier bits of wood, I glanced up to see the City Of York and three of its heavy duty front load hauler trucks one house down from where I stood, laden with wood pieces that had been torn from trees and bushes. As I walked with this load to the street where the trucks were slowly making their way toward me, the equipment operater motioned for me to drop my load in his front loader basket. We shouted at one another, and he gave me to understand that this was the annual city pick up for trees and branches left on the curb. I simple dropped my load into that container and away went the truck to the next house for the next load. Phillipians 4:19 says:
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.What a concept. Two other minor amazements have occurred this week, which also tells me that God is on the watch, supplying answers to questions before they have even been asked.
My new mantra is "IDK" meaning "I Don't Know" which is my standard reply to most questions asked of me. When is Julie going to Grand Junction? How are her wounds doing? When will the house sell? When is their house going on the market? When will you be appointed Personal Representative for Jack? When for Julie? When can you pay off their outstanding bills? How are you going to get their specialized van sold? When are you going home to Colorado? How is Julie really coping with being a young widow?
All questions are asked with true concern, but I just do not have any answers yet. Sometimes I almost yell out " I Don't Know!" but most recently I can more calmly mouth or in sotto voce simply reply "I D K." It is my most recent coping mechanism. That and discarding trash. What a sense of accomplishment to put something in a rubbish can and be done with it, never more touching the object or thinking of the consequences surrounding that discarded item.
House update: Pure & Simple and its owner Jennifer, will be here later this morning. She is turning all the knick knacks, furniture, appliances and household items into sale items for the Estate Flash Sale scheduled May 23-24. She is an energetic young woman sailing around the premises on angel wings, directing her staff and readying the house for a clear-out.
Now is time to put away the coffee cup, finish up this post, retrieve clothing from the dryer, shower and put away personal items so that Jennifer will not tag and price them for sale. I will be on my way shortly to see Julie and stay out of the way of Pure & Simple personnel.
(the house that Jack Built in 2003 in York, SC, now "The Estate")
