Goodbye Rosemary

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.......it was just that kind of day.  I got up this morning full of excitement, our songwriter's group was performing today.  It was a crisp fall morning, full of anticipation and good energy.  The phone rang about 9:30 and I didn't recognize the name on caller ID.  Rick answered the call, it was for me.  It was my chair buddy Rosemary's daughter Tina......I could tell by her voice that something was terribly wrong.

Tina and Christa, Rosemary's daughters, called to tell me that their mom had passed away Friday morning.  As Tina gave me the details, I kept thinking this is not right, this can't be true.  Rosemary's vitals were good, her numbers were up......but she took her last breath Friday morning.

It is the curse of those damn green chairs.....it is their legacy.  To beat their curse, takes incredible strength, the willingness to fight, and the grace of the angels.  I knew when I spoke with Rosemary the last time, even though the numbers were good, there was no fight left in her.  She had battled too much pain, and even though she knew she was loved and would be missed, she did not want to fight the fight any more.

Rosemary was only four years older than me, she had raised her family, worked as a caregiver all her life in a nursing facility.  She was sweetness and good, and filled with love.....and sitting with her in those green chairs made it bearable.  Everytime we talked, we told each other how much we loved each other, she was my friend and I felt as though I had known her my whole life.  I feel so cheated that she was in my life for such a short time.  Life beat me up this morning, and her children and grandchildren have lost way more than me.

Our gig was one of the best ever today, a big crowd, and we all did good.  I didn't feel like singing, but I knew Rosemary would be angry with me if I had sat at home and cried.  I will miss her so much, her smile, and her kindness.....damn those green chairs, they won again.
RIP Rosemary