Love to Audrey

I'm typing this post with one earphone in, listening to "Born in the USA" on cnn.com's coverage of the Democratic Convention. Just as Audrey would have it...
On Monday, Seth's "Aunt" Audrey (pictured above at Thanksgiving 2006, with Myles in my belly) transitioned on out of this world. She lived life well...wore it out like a good pair of jeans, and we simply adored her. As the best friend of Seth's maternal grandmother, Audrey stepped in when Seth's grandma passed away and has been nothing short of family since Seth was very little. Audrey was a say-it-like-it-is (with that beloved Brooklyn accent!) type of woman who loved all kinds of people, played perhaps the best Scrabble game we've ever participated in, and loved talking POLITICS! My kind of woman...
A service to honor Audrey and celebrate her life (while mourning the loss of her bodily presence in our lives) will take place on Saturday. Seth will be traveling up to be with his family. After going back and forth, I finally decided today that I will head to TN to be with my dad (and my grandmother who is 87 years old and every bit as fiesty as Audrey was!) in my dad's last weekend before beginning chemo. I've never wished quite so much that I could be in two places at once. But I will be thinking of Audrey on Saturday and celebrating her wonderful life and spirit from Tennessee.
I gotta tell you, it's been a hard summer. Just flat out hard. This week I have not been gracious or patient or even reasonable. I've been hard to live with, and not much fun. I think we are just tired. Tired of grieving, tired of the hard changes that have come our way uninvited. Sick and tired of sick and tired...
Hesitant to write yet one more post that doesn't contain good news and belies our weariness...
But we are ever thankful for family and friends. Thanks for staying tuned. Keep the prayers a-comin.