Stormy Weather

Dear Caroline,

Stormy weather is upon us. Both in our personal lives and actually in the weather outside.

Shortly after my last letter, a familiar feeling began to creep up on Thomas. He started to lose feeling in his right arm and leg beginning in June prompting another round of testing and physical therapy. It turns out that he had another bulging disc in his back- this time in his neck. He had to undergo another surgery on August 23rd. This recovery has been so much different than the last surgery. This has been setback after setback including a landing in the emergency room. It has been difficult all the way around because he wants so badly to get back to normal and back to work and is having to listen to his body. He is in the biggest fight of his life as the Chair of the Democratic Party (I can’t recall if I mentioned that) and gearing up for municipal elections. We are having to enter into a little bit of hibernation to let him heal. I am hopeful that with time and patience, we will get back to normal.

It is also stormy in our neck of the woods. When we moved away from the panhandle, I never thought we’d be dealing with hurricanes and tropical storms. Well we apparently brought them with us because we are currently under a tropical storm warning. Irma has officially arrived. She was a strong category five that hit the Caribbean, South Florida and still had enough juice in her to dump a lot of rain on us. I have been through five named storms at this point and it really wasn’t a huge deal. But being here- it was everyone’s first one so they are acting like the sky is falling. Someone even asked what it sounds like! (Just wind, btw). It isn’t great timing in that it has aligned perfectly with this latest set back with the surgery, but we are “roughing” it out.

Love always,

Beginnings

Dear Caroline,

September 29, 2001

November 19, 2004

April 9, 2010

June 3, 2011

July 11, 2015

May 21, 2016

Our lives are a series of moments and days that are especially significant. All the dates above are especially life changing for me in one way or another. From divorce to deaths to marriages, all of the dates above are such memorable days for me. I can remember them off the top of my head. Except for May 21^st. I remember the day, but I didn’t remember the date.

It popped up on my Facebook memories page. Memories and pictures of the day from over the years. Today, one year ago, Thomas and I decided to become more involved. In March of last year, we began getting more involved in TRAGIC and lobbying against a bill that would establish an “Opportunity School District” that would takeover chronically failing schools by the governor’s office. We were incensed. We were looking around and asking ourselves who was going to stand up? We realized that we could do that. We could stand up.

One of the board members hosted a forum on the issue of OSD and Thomas was asked to speak at a subsequent meeting that very day about it. I honestly feel that this day was a beginning of sorts for our life here in McDonough. Through this meeting we met many of our friends and really began to get involved. And OSD was defeated by a margin of 20 percentage points.

I think we are again arriving at a beginning. My teaching career is rapidly coming to a crossroads. For a while, I have felt very disenchanted with the entire path and am currently exploring my options. It feels very amazing for the first time in my twenty-eight years to not have a single plan or single idea moving forward. Its scary and so out of character for me. Endings kind be scary but beginnings are exciting.

Love always,