Facing A Mine Field

I'm facing a mine field. Let's call it November and December.

I'll have a birthday over the weekend. My first one in many years without Leroy.

I remember the first time he remembered it. We were working at the CBS News bureau in Los Angeles. Leroy went on a photographic safari to Africa, his first trip to the continent. He was so excited. But he surprised me with beautiful red roses. He'd arranged for them to be delivered before going to Kenya. A sweet sign we were becoming a "we."

They say the first year after losing your heart-mate, the Holidays come with heaps of emptiness. Thanksgiving was always at our house, Leroy, always sitting at the head of the table. His place.

Even when cancer's bite brought pain, he would sit there for as long as he could stand it, moving to his soft leather chair to finally get relief.

November... a mine field.

December? It's a checker board full of trip wires, too.

Let's not go there, right now.

-- Laurie

7:00 AM ET | 11-14-2008 | permalink

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