Sad News, Good News, Old News and New News.
Sad News:
My Mother called me Friday to tell me that she had gotten word from a mutual friend that an ex boyfriend of hers was very ill. M, (my moms ex) was a lovely guy, very sweet, REALLY good looking and funny as hell. He also suffered from manic depression. For various reasons him and my mom broke up. Over the years my mother kept in touch with mutual friends who let her now how M was doing, and occasionally ran in to M at social gatherings. As was typical for his disease he had his good times and not so good times, but unfortunately it sounds like he never really wrestled the disease under control.
About a year ago a spot of skin cancer was found on M’s back. The cancer was treated, but not long ago they found that it had spread to M's liver. A few days back my mother’s friend, Ray called her to tell her that they were taking M off of all forms of treatment. I called Ray on Friday to let him know that I would like to visit M. Saturday afternoon I got a call. M had died over night.
My mother is a little weirded out. Recently there have been a string of co workers and friends who have had deaths, and this is now the second ex-lover that she has outlived.
The funeral was yesterday. My mother chose to not go, she was uncertain about the etiquette of showing up to an ex-boyfriends funeral after he has remarried. Ray and I went. I managed to speak to M’s Daughter, whom I have not seen since I was 13. She was very glad to see me.
It was clear from the number of people who came to the funeral that M had touched many lives. For all of the friendships that he had, and all of the love that he shared, I wished that his life had not been so riddled with mental illness and all of the difficulties that came with that.
I am glad that by all accounts the cancer caused him relatively little suffering.
Rest Peacefully M.
Good News:
I went to go see Grace and my Father this weekend. We had an interesting and frank discussion about there finances. Without getting in to any details, life is good for them.
I was never particularly worried that they would one day show up on my doorstep suitcases in hand, saying “Hi, you have to take care of us now”. But I was always worried that after years of scrimping and saving that they might not be in position to relax and enjoy there retirement.
Long story short: I don’t have to worry about them.
They haven’t won a lottery, and they aren’t rolling in cash, but they will be OK. And that pleases me to no end.
Old News:
On Monday I had coffee with June, (One of the client services co-ordinators from Hospice Toronto) June will be retiring in April and starting her own business with her daughter.
We talked about a bunch of things, about her excitement over the upcoming challenge of her business, about how excited I am about school. Both of us feel that our lives are on the right path.
We also talked about the Hospice and how disappointed we are at the direction that the hospice movement has taken. The government has gotten more actively involved in Hospice organizations and they have all received a great deal of funding. On the surface this sounds like a good thing, but if you scratch the surface, it just doesn’t add up. June tells me that when she started working for the hospice the client services coordinators had 10 to 15 clients each. They worked there asses off with that case load. Now because the government wants the hospices to be “accountable” for the money that they have been given they are expecting the client services coordinators to take on 35 clients each. There is no way in hell that the client services coordinators can continue to deliver the quality of services that they are providing with that case load.
I have felt for a long time (and June agrees) that the hospice movement had moved too far away from the spirit of the grass roots movement started with the original Margaret Frazer team.
I told June I was planning on leaving the hospice. She said that there were changes in the works and that I should hang in there for a while longer.
Meh.
I’ll give it a month or so.
New News:
A couple of weeks ago Lana’s Boyfriend snuck Igal and I into the Bike Show at the International Building. I was disappointed as to how small it was, but Igal and I took advantage of a show special and signed up for The Baycel Ride for Heart. I am also thinking of signing up for the MS ride. There are several rides to choose from, they are two day rides spanning 150KM. Accommodations, food and travel to the second days starting point are all included. You have to raise a minimum of $200 to participate, and if you raise $1000.00 you get a cool bike jersey. If you raise $2000.00 you get a cool set of bike shorts too.
I am trying to get Starbucks to sponsor me.
Wish me luck.
My Mother called me Friday to tell me that she had gotten word from a mutual friend that an ex boyfriend of hers was very ill. M, (my moms ex) was a lovely guy, very sweet, REALLY good looking and funny as hell. He also suffered from manic depression. For various reasons him and my mom broke up. Over the years my mother kept in touch with mutual friends who let her now how M was doing, and occasionally ran in to M at social gatherings. As was typical for his disease he had his good times and not so good times, but unfortunately it sounds like he never really wrestled the disease under control.
About a year ago a spot of skin cancer was found on M’s back. The cancer was treated, but not long ago they found that it had spread to M's liver. A few days back my mother’s friend, Ray called her to tell her that they were taking M off of all forms of treatment. I called Ray on Friday to let him know that I would like to visit M. Saturday afternoon I got a call. M had died over night.
My mother is a little weirded out. Recently there have been a string of co workers and friends who have had deaths, and this is now the second ex-lover that she has outlived.
The funeral was yesterday. My mother chose to not go, she was uncertain about the etiquette of showing up to an ex-boyfriends funeral after he has remarried. Ray and I went. I managed to speak to M’s Daughter, whom I have not seen since I was 13. She was very glad to see me.
It was clear from the number of people who came to the funeral that M had touched many lives. For all of the friendships that he had, and all of the love that he shared, I wished that his life had not been so riddled with mental illness and all of the difficulties that came with that.
I am glad that by all accounts the cancer caused him relatively little suffering.
Rest Peacefully M.
Good News:
I went to go see Grace and my Father this weekend. We had an interesting and frank discussion about there finances. Without getting in to any details, life is good for them.
I was never particularly worried that they would one day show up on my doorstep suitcases in hand, saying “Hi, you have to take care of us now”. But I was always worried that after years of scrimping and saving that they might not be in position to relax and enjoy there retirement.
Long story short: I don’t have to worry about them.
They haven’t won a lottery, and they aren’t rolling in cash, but they will be OK. And that pleases me to no end.
Old News:
On Monday I had coffee with June, (One of the client services co-ordinators from Hospice Toronto) June will be retiring in April and starting her own business with her daughter.
We talked about a bunch of things, about her excitement over the upcoming challenge of her business, about how excited I am about school. Both of us feel that our lives are on the right path.
We also talked about the Hospice and how disappointed we are at the direction that the hospice movement has taken. The government has gotten more actively involved in Hospice organizations and they have all received a great deal of funding. On the surface this sounds like a good thing, but if you scratch the surface, it just doesn’t add up. June tells me that when she started working for the hospice the client services coordinators had 10 to 15 clients each. They worked there asses off with that case load. Now because the government wants the hospices to be “accountable” for the money that they have been given they are expecting the client services coordinators to take on 35 clients each. There is no way in hell that the client services coordinators can continue to deliver the quality of services that they are providing with that case load.
I have felt for a long time (and June agrees) that the hospice movement had moved too far away from the spirit of the grass roots movement started with the original Margaret Frazer team.
I told June I was planning on leaving the hospice. She said that there were changes in the works and that I should hang in there for a while longer.
Meh.
I’ll give it a month or so.
New News:
A couple of weeks ago Lana’s Boyfriend snuck Igal and I into the Bike Show at the International Building. I was disappointed as to how small it was, but Igal and I took advantage of a show special and signed up for The Baycel Ride for Heart. I am also thinking of signing up for the MS ride. There are several rides to choose from, they are two day rides spanning 150KM. Accommodations, food and travel to the second days starting point are all included. You have to raise a minimum of $200 to participate, and if you raise $1000.00 you get a cool bike jersey. If you raise $2000.00 you get a cool set of bike shorts too.
I am trying to get Starbucks to sponsor me.
Wish me luck.
Labels: Miscellaneous
posted by veronica at 11:10 AM
0 comments
