Welcome 2012!

Wow!  I can hardly believe it has been almost a year since my last post!  Life has certainly been hectic.  The days blended together into a sea of waves crashing against the shore.  Most days left me a little worse for the tumble, a few, softened like sea glass.

It was a year of sickness for my loved ones.  A journey through many aspects of health issues I would have rather never become acquainted with.  I now know more medical terms, hospital routines, testing lingo, and the intricacies of how the heart works than necessary for your average layman.  I have been indoctrinated to the world of cancer and the evil it wrecks, not only on those carrying the illness inside their body, but on the adverse effects on their loved ones.

My husband, the heart patient, after many extremely close calls has fought through and recovered nicely.

My dad, the cancer patient, joined Tony right after Thanksgiving.

Dad and Tony
Christmas 2007

 I am a bit beaten up having gone through caregiver of both. I am grateful that my husband with the guidance and knowledge of his extremely talented Doctors had a great outcome after many rare and scary occurrences.  We had become regulars at the hospital.  Certainly not a place you want to call your home away from home, but I am grateful for the caring staff who made us feel safe, comfortable and cared for.

Dad and I at a wedding August 2011

I am also grateful that my dad, although he did suffer, he did not suffer long.  I miss the stubborn man, the conversations, the smile, the backseat driver, the man who helped define how I would look at all men in my life.

I now find myself settling back into my life.  I have been working very hard on my son's foundation and am proud of the direction it is going in.  The feedback has been very positive and the fact that I can help others along this path is very rewarding.

If you would like to keep up with the foundation, you may subscribe to updates through the website.  This past year we held a fundraiser which brought in enough money to start the process of becoming Non Profit, had a sibling/friend friendly brownstock fundraiser, held a free Angel Concert with Alan Pedersen, and hosted our third candle lighting!  This year we are holding a memorial blood drive in March and am sponsoring a parent to attend the Compassionate Friends National Conference in July along with the annual Candle lighting.  We are hoping to start a support group.  Many members of the compassionate friends feel they would benefit from meetings held more often.  We hope to fill this void for them!  We have also been working on an Angel Recipe book due to be out very soon!

Grief is a long journey, hard work and exhausting.  It is a roller coaster of emotions and you can never predict what, when, where, why or how it will hit you.  It is the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life but I am determined to learn, grow and love more than ever in honor and memory not only of my Tony, but especially for my other two sons, so that they may learn that life may kick you, even knock you out, but it is possible to survive!

I hope to continue to add to this blog more often and to share the many aspects this path brings my way!

May peace find it's way into your heart this year and always!

In Loving Memory of my Dad
Henry DiJulio Jr
7/1/33 - 11/27/11