The month of October was sad and stormy for Mom, as she battled the effects of stroke, pneumonia and infection. I believe that her agony was triggered by the flu shot, but I'll save that discussion for another day.
Never, as in not ever, could we have anticipated Mother Nature's plan for the hurricane that arrived at almost the very hour she passed away. Sandy's timing might have amused me, in light of Mom's lifelong, pronounced sense of drama; however, there was not much to smile about when reality hit.
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| What we met in trying to check on the lake house... |
As we sat in near darkness (thanks for the generator, Bri) for four days, e-mail messages from European pals came in on my cell... the only link to the outside world and one that was not functioning at home. We'd work our way around closed roads, in order to find pockets that offered service. Worldwide television broadcasts allowed my friends to witness downstate devastation; they wondered how close we were to the annihilated shores of New York and New Jersey. I sincerely thank them.
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| Kelly's relatives lived here at one time... |
Clearly, we had our share of damage in upstate Monti. Thousands are still without power. Winds seemed to be of tornado strength, taking out about an acre's worth of trees, just below our home, and missing us by a very narrow margin. That's called "good luck", I suppose. It was unsettling to make plans while dealing with the unknown.
When power and TV were restored on Friday morning, we had our first real glimpse of what had transpired in our beautiful and beloved New York and neighboring New Jersey. I cried... again. It's hard to fathom the heartbreak and loss so many have endured. Later in the day, we arrived on Long Island for Mom's funeral. Centuries-old trees at the cemetery were lying about, destroyed by gusts up to 70 mph. The restaurant Ronnie chose was still without power and running on generators. The candlelit tables leant a sense of warmth and healing, as delicious food kept on coming to replenish our energy.
Hallowe'en didn't happen for the kids and Mayor Bloomberg cancelled the Marathon. Good on him. Critics will say he waited a tad too long to make his decision; but the fact is, he did the right thing. Runners became rescue workers, lending a hand to Staten Islanders who suffered immensely. A few of my rock 'n' roll idols got together for an impromptu concert and raised 23 million dollars. The cause goes on, as does life.
