When I was younger, February was my favorite month. We visited my Grandparents in Florida for two weeks every February. They lived about 30 minutes from Daytona. It was no coincidence that we went for a visit in February. Dad went to the races (I joined him when I was old enough) and we spent the rest of the time visiting Grandma and Grandpa.
As I've gotten older, February has become one of my least favorite months. The more I study the family history, the more I think that February just isn't our month! We've had a lot of deaths in February. Sure, in a family our size, any month could fit this bill, but it just seems February is really the unkindest.
It started with my Great-Grandma Hattie Yerke. She was my Grandma Wager's mother. She died February 28, 1962. Actually, the year from February 1962 to February 1963 saw my Mom lose her three remaining grandparents (her mother's father had died when Mom was a little over a year old). Great-Grandma Yerke died in February, 1962. My Great-Grandma Mabel Wager died in The Disaster in July, 1962. My Great-Grandpa Reginald Wager died February 17, 1962- seven months after his wife. Mom swears he died of a broken heart.
Dad's grandfather, Xavier Primeau, died in February 1967. February quieted down for a couple of decades (at least as far as immediate family is concerned). Then my Uncle Sid (Grandpa Wager's brother) died February 12, 1991. Grandpa Wager died February 29, 2000. And last year it was my Grandma Primeau on Valentine's Day. It's enough to make you thankful that February is a short month.
I'm generally not all that fond of the colder months. My Mom had her birthday in early February and the weather was so cold I couldn't take her on any of the outings I had planned because we would have frozen our behinds off. Literally.
ReplyDeleteMy own family is small, and one bit smaller too now. My grand aunt whom I really adored died a week ago and while you know to expect it at a certain age (she was 89) it's still a shock. I seriously thought she'd live forever because of the stubbornness she showed in all regards. I do know she's in a better place now, and her memory lives on, but still it's painful to know you can't just pick up the phone and call just to hear her voice. Ok, I better stop now because I'm this close to bursting into tears.