Life has finally returned to a semblance of normalcy for the entire Sabella family after three weeks of craziness and emotional stress. In case you’re wondering, Jean and I only stayed three days at Old Forge before packing up and coming home. Stephen, Michael and Karen have returned to work after missing an entire week. David is attending “New Teacher Orientation” at PHS in anticipation of his new teaching career. The rest of us are helping my mother sort out clothes and financial affairs while she is spending as much time as possible with all her friends at Heath Village. All of them are either widows or widowers who understand exactly what my mother is going through, and they have become close friends during the four years my parents have lived there, so my mother has the best support group possible.

One side effect of the viewing and funeral was that we saw many friends and relatives whom we have not seen in literally decades. Uncle Charley is incredibly nimble and sharp at the age of 95, and his son Richard and daughter-in-law Florence are exactly as we remembered them. Craig drove from New Hampshire for the wake, stayed two hours, then turned around and drove home again! What a tribute that was for my father. My cousin Rita, who was more of a sister growing up, made the comment that as we all get older, and family members begin dying off, she fully hopes to stay more in touch than we have been. I think we all felt that way this past weekend.

Now I have two weeks of summer vacation left, and I am three weeks behind in my chores. It doesn’t look as if I will accomplish nearly as much as I had hoped to do this summer. At this point, that is the least of my worries.