Unevenly Successful
Posted by Edith Cook on Sunday, June 22, 2014 Under: Personal
I spent a month in Germany, trying to ascertain if and how I might help Cousin Edith longterm in her struggle with cancer. Since their home is only half remodeled, I stayed with another family in Neibsheim--people whose children had spent a summer with me in the United States when they were teens. I was trying to figure out the logistics of going back and forth between another home and my cousin's.
Well, I quickly recognized that that's pretty infeasible. A contributing factor is my cousin's changing attitude. She seems unwilling or unable to let go of the reins, insisting that her husband and the two foster girls do the work. Josef himself is not well--he suffers from a heart condition and complains of stress, but so long as he goes along with Edith's demands, who am I to say anything? I kept my mouth shout.
We did have a good long talk on my last day in Neibsheim, when Edith and I went for a lengthy walk in the woods that adjoin their hime (and the village). She acknowledged that her prognosis for long-term survival is not good, and that the anticipates with anxiety the coming tests and reports from the oncologist, which will reveal whether she is in remission. Since I've been home, I've written her saying if, at a later time, she wishes to make use of my offer to help, I'll do all I can.
Before leaving for Germany I took down the "For Sale" sign on my home and haven't put it back up, since I have yet to decide where to move when I downsize. Since Walter and family now live in Texas, there isn't much of a reason for me to remain in Cheyenne, where I'm heartily tired of the political hustle and bustle of a capital city. Also the traffic is getting to me in the corner where I live. So, changes are in the air. I might move north near Wheatland, and put a mobile home on my acreage. Moving to Texas is not an option, neither is California, though I might visit there in the winter months.
Well, I quickly recognized that that's pretty infeasible. A contributing factor is my cousin's changing attitude. She seems unwilling or unable to let go of the reins, insisting that her husband and the two foster girls do the work. Josef himself is not well--he suffers from a heart condition and complains of stress, but so long as he goes along with Edith's demands, who am I to say anything? I kept my mouth shout.
We did have a good long talk on my last day in Neibsheim, when Edith and I went for a lengthy walk in the woods that adjoin their hime (and the village). She acknowledged that her prognosis for long-term survival is not good, and that the anticipates with anxiety the coming tests and reports from the oncologist, which will reveal whether she is in remission. Since I've been home, I've written her saying if, at a later time, she wishes to make use of my offer to help, I'll do all I can.
Before leaving for Germany I took down the "For Sale" sign on my home and haven't put it back up, since I have yet to decide where to move when I downsize. Since Walter and family now live in Texas, there isn't much of a reason for me to remain in Cheyenne, where I'm heartily tired of the political hustle and bustle of a capital city. Also the traffic is getting to me in the corner where I live. So, changes are in the air. I might move north near Wheatland, and put a mobile home on my acreage. Moving to Texas is not an option, neither is California, though I might visit there in the winter months.
In : Personal
Tags: "neibsheim" "cousin edith"
Though I now live in Wyoming, I make frequent return trips to California with visits to travel club members along the way. At home I play classical guitar, enjoy gardening and cooking, and participate in group yoga. Getting together with family and friends is high on my agenda. I value people who write or make music and love it when my adult children and their offspring play their instruments, sing songs with me, or discuss what they read and write. Such gatherings help me cope with the losses in my life, which have been severe. Next year I hope to visit family in Germany.
