Friday, November 22, 2013

My Favorite Book

This topic brought to the LBC this morning by shackman.  It seemed impossible at first, but with a little thought and consideration …

It was 50 years ago today.  It seems so long ago and yet it seems like yesterday.  Every American can remember where they were.

It was in June of 2011 when word came to me that my father had fallen and would not recover.  It seems so long ago and it seems like yesterday.

It was about 4 1/2 years or so ago.  An idea came into my head that sprouted into the Loose Blogger Consortium.  It seems so … well, you know the rest.

What ties these together?  Emotion, caring and personal impact.  Jack Kennedy’s assassination is etched in every American’s psyche indelibly because we embraced him.  He had impact just by being and acting out who he was.  His charisma and his family’s ushered in a new vision of America.

My father and I shared many memories and reflections on JFK over the decades just as we shared so much else.  Both of their losses impacted me deeply, not to speak of the impact on my mother, who shared 63 loving years with my dad.

Now let’s close this circle.  Along with the LBC came relationships of a type that I would never have anticipated at the time.  We were few at the beginning, but we were very much into the idea of trying an experiment where each blogger would simultaneously write on a single topic and THEN go see what the others had written.  The core group was really Ramana, myself – and this long legged lass from the Emerald Isle.

Well, over time and over sharing and over caring, we all became closer and began communication on the side in a variety of ways.  We have had a surprising number of ups and downs over this period, for that is the lot of mortals.  And the loss of my father to me and my mother was no exception.

What most don’t realize is that one of the true stabilizing forces for my mother at that time was this lady that I became acquainted with on the Internet, this charter member of the LBC.  Marie – Grannymar – talked on many occasions through those early days on Skype with my mother and helped her through.  And helped me through.

Now, this lady of Ireland who has become what we think of as our cousin for we are almost half Irish, is hanging up her LBC pen on this the 50th anniversary of the death of our Irish President.  There is a poignancy to that, and I want to deeply and humbly thank my friend for all that she has done and all that she has meant.

And that brings me back to our original topic with this choice as my favorite book:

11 comments:

  1. Fifty years ago, I was just finished my homework while babysitting three nephews and a niece, when I turned on the late evening TV news to discover the devastating news from Dallas. On June 27 1963, I stood at the top of my avenue in Dublin, to see JFK arrive for a State visit to Dublin. We were less than a car distance from his limo and it was travelling at a snails pace. Two nights later my father drove us into the city to see the motorcade pass through the streets on the way to a State Reception and Dinner.

    Thank you cuz, for the kind words. Please pass on my regards to Corky, I hope she is keeping well.

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    1. I have good news on mom! She has moved to Manhattan, where Viki lives, and is in a great new house. Not everything is moved from the old house, but Viki is staying with her and she is back in the swing of various activities, not isolated like she was. And, she will be getting back into the computer swing of things soon, so she will be contactable directly! Yeah!!!

      As for the Kennedy visit to Dublin, they covered that at the JFK museum and library that we visited in late Sept. One of the most poignant moments of the entire experience of his presidency was the recording of his parting words to the Irish that June, when he promised that he would return in the spring, a spring that never came for him.

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    2. Great news about your Mom. I look forward to catching up with her once more when she gets cyberspace in her stride.

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  2. Nicely drawn circle.
    Good book choice too.

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  3. Now see, you have proven that a person can write about ant topic. They just can take the long way around. Lol

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  4. @Delirious

    LOL I'm not sure that's a compliment!

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  5. A great tribute to a departing founder member of the LBC. I haven't given up all hopes of her returning to the LBC one day though. And your choice of the book brings back more positive memories to me, than the negative ones that the Kennedy assassination does.

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  6. Oooh Fossil, everything in your post has my eyes full. It's sad we have lost GM but I'm thrilled for your mom. May she have many happy days ahead. And hopefully GM will miss us and return real soon.
    blessings ~ maxi

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  7. @Rummuser

    To me, the Book of Love was the ultimate tie that binds all of these connections together. Regardless of the difficulties or tragedies or shared triumphs, it is love that binds us together in the human family.

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  8. @Maxi

    Losing GM's entries for the LBC is OK as long as we don't lose the connection to Marie. And I refuse to do that!

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