The best laid plans of mice and men.....

WE came home prepared to make it possible for Shirl to live in her home alone, by hiring who ever was needed or adding an apartment in her basement. BUT...... 

             

 Funny that, big sisters like parents are supposed to be here forever. I am repeating myself like all old people. Shirl was the sister closest to my age. She taught me to ride a bicycle, play hop-scotch and play jack rocks. I even played paper dolls, yeah Paula, with the taps!

          

She was the only one of the family siblings to graduate from HS. She married young to a ‘craphead’.  I knew it but she didn’t. It was 1954. She married too soon after HS graduation.  She soon learned he was cheating on her in the first year of her marriage. She suspected it and asked our older sister to go to his work place to watch after work. He came out, hugged and passionately kissed his assistant and helped her into her car.  He had never helped Shirley into a car.  She divorced him, moved to Charlotte, NC and made a life of her own.

She met Jim, a great guy with two good sons. They married and had 40+ years before esophageal cancer took him from her.

Sherry and I spent a month with her, getting her ready to move from the city (Charlotte) to Belmont. It was tough on us, but tougher on her.

We had our home available to rent so she decided to move into our house. For over ten years she has rented our home, the landlord’s dream: paying by the year.

Today I said goodbye to my last sibling of BF & Grace Darnell family, a total of 9. I only remain. Shirley Maxine, who wanted to be called Shirl, passed away. 

Have you ever had the ‘experience’ of seeing a family member pass from this life with ‘hundreds’ of wires and tubes hooked up?  Sorta like a ‘spooky’ movie?

Actually I counted 20 apparatus’ hooked up, she was in the ‘Critical Care Unit (CCU)’.  However, when it is someone you love, it looks like hundreds.

Goodbye Sister Shirley Maxine Darnell Wrape, you were a good BIG SISTER! On my next blog I will tell of some of your escapades.  

We were there with her at the last heartbeat. My Sherry sang quietly to her, “You won’t have to cross Jordon alone.”

 I told her to tell the family hello, some of us know I will see them all in the MORNING! I found her written wishes where she always told me they would be. I read: No service, no obit, and no announcement. Just cremate my body and spread the ashes on Jim’s grave.

I did not promise not to put my big sister in the blog.

Nite Shipslog