Checking back in. The absolute craziness of the last seven days is off-the-charts.
So we rode the bicycle race and then went to a symphonic concert on Saturday. Monday was my 60th birthday. My co-workers had decorated my office with lovely
60th birthday decorations
They bought a Giant chocolate chip cookie for me and sang HB.
After work, DW and I went to dinner.
Tuesday I went to work but became ill after 2.5 hours so I went home. (I have my phone set to not take calls or texts while I drive.) As soon as I turned off the car my phone blew up with 7 text messages.
That is never good and it wasnt.
My half-sister had texted, telling me my birth-mom had passed away on my birthday. She did not want to tell me on my birthday, I understand.
I am adopted, but by the magic of an online genealogy forum, my sister tracked me down nearly 20-years ago. Birth certificates in TX have a code in the number. Some of the numbers correspond to the last name of the mother. If those numbers are different than the child's name on the birth certificate you may have been adopted. Since they knew the date, time and place of birth, and I was the only birth at that time and place and the numbers were different, chances were I was their guy. After meeting my sister, I met my birth mom. That was really cool.
Genetics are scary. I grew up 110 miles away from a family I didn't know I had. There is zero doubt. The parallel paths, college degrees earned, hobbies, interests, books we read, movies we owned, instruments we played, sport we participated in and most telling: an extra vertebrae (I have 26, so does birth-mom's sister) and our noses; it was freaky!! I do believe in environmental circumstances determining some human outcomes, but in our case, genetics ruled supreme.
So, I went from achieving my post-RTHR goal of riding a 50-mile bicycle race on Saturday to finding out 3-days later that the woman who brought me into-the-world had passed away.
High to Low really quickly.
I held it together for all of 30-seconds and did not go to work on Wednesday. Tears and work don't mix very well.
It is better now, the memorial service date has been set. Her wish was to be cremated and Urns are backordered! No kidding.
So, this has been the craziest week I can recall since surgery.... Just because you are a hippy, doesn't mean that life quits happening. At least I can drive 4-hours to be with one of my families without pain.
My adopted mom knows all this and is cool with it. I still have her.
Crazy week, hope everyone is well
Thank goodness it is a 3-day weekend. Whew!
I love you all. Doug