Yesterday, I received another piece of mail addressed to Gatewood Family Enterprises, a name we used in connection with a side thing many years ago.
Two things struck me about this.
1) You really never get off mailing lists, as they will remove you but re-sell your info to someone else.
2) There is no Gatewood Family here any longer. A family has more than one person in it, and now there’s just me. It’s just Tim and his cats.
Don’t get me wrong — I love my cats, but they’re not people, at least not human people. They are pets or companion animals. I cherish them for all the joy and laughter and entertainment they bring into my life. And, yes, they are (to use the phrase I heard so often from Barbara Gatewood) “my angel babies”. They just don’t take the place of a human companion.
Yes, my parents and siblings are still living, so I’m a member of A Gatewood family, but MY Gatewood family is no more.
So, pardon me if I’m a bit more bah-humbug than usual this year.
#missingher #beingwidowedsucks
Minister Is A Verb 
Dear Tim, It is good to hear from you. You are allowed all the humbug grieving you need. The amount is determined by the weight we feel in our hearts. Some mornings I feel too heavy to get up but by the afternoon I might be flying in heaven from some great inspirational works like yours. I call it work because for me it is work to get up and stay up. I was wishing there was someone who would come into my life this afternoon and do the work for me but that isn’t likely to happen. I feel judged by those around me. They are looking always looking for signs to take my spiritual fervor and measure it against their own. I guess we all do that. Just because the whole world has gone mad again over Christmas does not mean I have to join. As a matter of fact, I am drawing to a close a relationship with a neighbor who I believe is great in so many ways. It only takes one way to bring everything crashing down. Do something dirty and nasty and when I request a reprieve just keep on doing your stuff I don’t like. My neighbor is a drunk who blames me and threatens without means. I am done putting up and pushing up and if I don’t get up today I will tomorrow if I want to. Reading my own words before signing off makes me feel a little giggly. Better already. Thanks for being there Tim.
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Thanks, Linda. Praying your neighbor doesn’t disturb you in 2017.
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Hi, Tim, it’s always good to see you pop up in my email, and to visit with you through your blog. I know this must be a hard year for you and the bah-humbug is perfectly understandable. Given what a crappy year it was overall in the world, I’m guessing there’s a lot of bah-humbug out there. You’re entitled to as much as you need. Please know that you will be in my thoughts over the holiday, and you have my wishes for quiet joy and peace in the new year. Take care.
~Donna
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Thank you, Donna. Your blog is one of the few I have set up to send to my email so I don’t miss any of your posts. Your calls to kindness have helped me greatly. May 2017 be a kind year for you and yours.
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