It's strange when your parents' friends start dying.

[Miss Peregrine]

My parents' long time friend, Frank, just passed away. As kids, we would be over at their house all the time while the adults played cards. Going to their house meant that we were going to be up late!

 

We would play in their jacuzzi, eat candy that his wife had in bowls all. over. the. house. Fun memories!

 

Frank, when greeting us, would always tell my sister and me, "Hi boys!, uh, I mean girls." :D

 

He will be missed. :sad:

[Doran]

My parents' long time friend, Frank, just passed away. As kids, we would be over at their house all the time while the adults played cards. Going to their house meant that we were going to be up late!

 

We would play in their jacuzzi, eat candy that his wife had in bowls all. over. the. house. Fun memories!

 

Frank, when greeting us, would always tell my sister and me, "Hi boys!, uh, I mean girls." :D

 

He will be missed. :sad:

 

 

My father has outlived most of his cronies. It's very hard and sad for him, and I almost pity him because he had such a limited number of close friends to begin with. Now, they're gone. Interestingly, I haven't felt his losses in a personal way as deeply as you are for your parents' friend, Frank, because my strongest memories are with the wives and less so the husbands. In the case of my parents, many/most of the wives are still around, so things haven't "changed" quite as much, kwim? Losses like these do bring home our own aging, and the aging of our parents which is also why it feels strange.

 

Hugs to you in your grief. I know it hurts.

[homeschoolin'mygirls]

I know what you mean. I've also been going thru this. Some of my most favorite relatives are getting notably older and frail. It makes me sad, and it's difficult to accept.

 

One of the characters in a M Binchley's book expressed what I felt well.

 

"... always thought that growing up meant 'catching up' to the grownups..." (paraphrased)

 

I just always thought I'd be joining the grownup party, and they would still be the same as always. Silly, I know but it's hard to comprehend my very active GS leader in a w/c because of multiple strokes. I always see her energetically starting projects and activities

 

sigh--Next I'll be talking about the good ol' days of yesteryear.

 

nandell

[kalanamak]

This brings up one of my mother's pet peeves. She outlived all but one friend, and only died 6 months before her. Especially after they got so old they didn't travel, she and her friends kept up quite a letter campaign.

 

Please, folks, as your parents age, get a list of everyone who needs to be notified of something. My poor mother would send off a letter and hear nothing, and not know if the lady was so weak she needed a call, or was dead, or had been moved to a nursing home...and still needed letters even if she couldn't reply. Each silence was a burden to my folks. In later years, my mother used to give me the name, and I could sometimes find an obit.

 

Don't forget those old neighbors from the 50's. As more and more of them fall off the perch, those left become more dear to the shut-ins of the world.