Thursday, November 29, 2012

Transitions

Readers of LongLostRelatives.net may have noticed my conspicuous absence from the blogging world the last few months, even though I've continued to remain active on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

But I'm getting back in the swing again after some life interruptions and just being very busy!

I've written before about being my father's caregiver for the last few years. Dad had a stroke in October and I took several weeks off work to aid in his recovery. Fortunately, he had no paralysis, but he has aphasia, the inability to always be able to say the words he wants to say. His speech is gradually coming back and we actually were able to have a fairly lengthy conversation last evening and most of the desired words were there.

His loss of communication skills hit the genealogist in me very hard. I've been with him for eight years and clearly, I took our daily interaction and his stories about his life for granted. I've made a few recordings of his reminiscences, but I guess I always thought I would have more time to do that. As he lay in the hospital, unable to find the most basic words to convey his needs, I began to grieve the loss of the stories I might never hear again.

My advice to all my fellow family historians: record and document those stories NOW - before it's too late. We are all living on borrowed time, so capture the memories while you can.

I'm happy to report that Dad has eased back into his daily routine and we are returning to the life that is "normal" for us.

During the time I was off work, I had plenty of time to contemplate my own life, what I want to do with the rest of it and easily made the decision to give up my day job after 40 years of public service with the state of Nebraska. Since I've made it official, I can now share that information. My last day of work will be January 31, 2013. To say that I'm giddy about being able to devote more time to family history, genealogy speaking and writing is an understatement. I'm really going to be able to live my dream and do what is best for Dad and me. I think he is even more excited than I am!

The "busy" part is due to having been elected to the board of directors of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Genealogical Society in August. This is a very exciting time for our society as we branch out with our weekly education activities and special interest groups, in addition to our monthly programs. We have some very exciting programs and events in the works for 2013. We will be finalizing those plans at a committee meeting this Sunday. It has also been fun to gear up our online presence with our Facebook page, Twitter feed and blog. Al Harlow, our webmaster, does a great job with the LLCGS web site - and all of our online activities feed into one another. We sponsored a fall conference featuring Hank Jones, Jr. in October. He's one of the best!

In October, I was guest speaker at the Wymore Public Library in Wymore, Nebraska. My talk was sponsored by the Friends of the Wymore Library. I had a great time - many thanks to Jan and Janet for making that possible.

Thanks to the readers of LongLostRelatives.net for your continued and ongoing support. I'm looking forward to a fun and exciting 2013! And more frequent blogging!

14 comments:

  1. Just one of the activities you've mentioned would be enough to keep a soul busy!

    The caregiving is a labor of love. Your dad is fortunate to have you there. I know day-to-day experiences can be exhausting, but you are on an errand of angels making these twilight years happy for him.

    Myrt. :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Pat, for a kind and thoughtful comment. "errand of angels" - a phrase I will always remember. Bless you!

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  2. Susan, I'm so glad that your dad is doing better and I hope he continues to improve. Congratulations on your decision to retire!

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    1. Thanks, Debbie! I'm hopeful it will actually mean more time for genealogy!

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  3. Thank you for sharing your news, Susan. Best wishes in each of your activities!! ;-)

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    1. Thanks, Dr. Bill! I will be reading your retirement blog even more frequently now!

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  4. I say it again and again: family always comes first.. that said, it is nice to have you back and exciting for you as you come to the next phase of your journey. Bonne chance!

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    1. Thanks, Lucie. I'm looking forward to the new journey ahead.

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  5. Glad to have you back! This is the first I'm hearing about your dad but am glad to hear he's doing better and you're able to spend more time with him, especially after your retirement in January, which I did catch the other day on facebook. Wow, 40 years of service...that's impressive and I imagine it'll be a little hard to leave after all those years. But on the bright side, more time with your dad and your genealoy...sounds lovely! Best of luck in your soon-to-be newfound freedom!

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    1. Thanks, Julie. I'm planning on logging several hours a day either writing or working on genealogy; I hope I don't get sloppy with my time and will be able to stay focused on the projects I've been wanting to work on for years. I told Dad I will still being going to work everyday; it's just that my office is downstairs instead of downtown. :-)

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  6. Hope your Dad's speech continues to improve - and roll on the 31st of January :-)

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    1. Thanks, Jo. His speech seems to be improving all the time. I'm even hopeful that he'll be able to share his stories and memories again very soon.

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  7. I hope your dad continues to improve. I also see according to Geneabloggers, today is your 3rd year anniversary since you've been blogging. Happy Blogiversary.

    Regards, Jim
    Hidden Genealogy Nuggets

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  8. Here's a three month newbie wishing a three year veteran a Happy Blogiversary.

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