Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Good Riddance 2006 and Welcome to 2007!


Good Riddance 2006 and Welcome to 2007!
We had a very low key New Years Eve, went over to Jam and Michelle’s house and just hung out for the evening. We were home and in bed by 2 a.m. Oh, how the years have changed us!

Jeremy and I were please to see 2006 end. It was a very rough year for us, marked with a lot of pain and sorrow. We both lost several people that we loved and miss dearly.

Jeremy’s aunt, Laurie Schroeder, passed away at the beginning of February – less that two months after cancer was found in her liver. Laurie had battled cancer twice before and survived, this time it just couldn’t be done. Laurie was in her early fifties and was just hitting her stride. Losing her was devastating for Jeremy’s whole family, but especially for his grandparents. Without having children of my own, I can’t imagine what they must feel – but I know that nobody should ever have to go to their own child’s funeral.

Shortly after Laurie’s death, Grandma Busch’s health took a sudden and serious turn for the worst. It wasn’t long before we knew that she would die soon, so she went home to die with her family around her. It was both a heartbreaking and amazingly uplifting experience to spend those last weeks with her. Her mind was fine, and she was ready to let go – we all had the opportunity to spend time with her and with one another at Grandma’s house. Jeremy and I went up there after work every chance we got and every weekend as well. We’d all been taking turns sitting with Grandma in the last few days when she slipped into a coma and wasn’t responsive anymore. Dad and I spent her last night with her. We sat up, just the two of us, talking about life and death, Grandma and Grandpa Busch, Dad’s childhood, living without regrets, etc. Just hours of talking about the things you should talk about, but don’t. Dad, Jeremy and I decided to go home the next morning to catch some sleep. It’s only a ten minute drive home, but as soon as we walked in the door, Mom called to tell us to come back. Grandma was gone before we got back. I honestly think she waited until Dad was gone to let go. She was 93 years old and lived a very long and very full life. Her funeral was huge, she was loved and respected by the entire community. She was an amazing and strong woman and I miss her every day.

In July, our friend Andy Polcyn passed away quite suddenly. I posted about Andy and his life and the impact he had on all of those around him. (Please see my post from July 28, 2006 -
http://the-view-from-a-broad.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_archive.html.)

In the fall, one of my mother-in-law’s closest and oldest friends passed away. Cindy had also battled breast cancer before and survived, but wasn’t able to do so this time. Cindy and her husband had been stationed in Germany for a while when Cathy and Jay (my in-laws) were stationed there shortly after being married. Cindy and Cathy became close and fast friends and their children later formed similar friendships. Cindy was there for Cathy through some very difficult times. Jeremy used to spend summers in Iowa with Cindy and her family. Their son, Jeff, used to in turn come to St. Louis and stay with Jeremy’s family. Cindy’s passing was very hard on both Jeremy and Cathy.

And just last month, we suffered another loss. Laurie’s husband, Fred, passed away. Fred had been an absolutely devoted husband to Laurie and he was devastated when she died. His last year was a very difficult one and many of us honestly believe he died of a broken heart. In his eulogy, we were told that he even said on the way to the hospital that it would be okay if he died – because then he could be with Laurie. Their son, Adam, is now left to piece things together and go on without them. But he has the staunch support of a very strong Broad family. And I can’t stress enough what a smart and sweet guy he is.

In the midst of all that, Jeremy had an appendectomy, and I’ve been dealing with some sort of joint problem that has eluded diagnosis so far. (They can put a man on the moon, but a stupid sore toe, and it’s x-rays and MRIs and prescriptions and blood tests and grumble, grumble, grumble, grrrrrr.)

However - there were also some wonderful things that happened in 2006! As I mentioned in one of my very first posts, Jeremy became a small business owner and is now his own boss. Along with a friend, he bought Azar Automotive and it’s going amazingly well. It’s not easy and it’s a lot of hard work and long hours – but they’re making a success of it and I’ve never been so proud of anyone in my life.

I switched jobs and am now working at Express Scripts, Inc. The change in my stress-level and personal sense of satisfaction is astounding. I knew I was stressed out and unhappy – but I don’t think I realized how bad it really was until I made a change. I am happy and healthier and more content all day, every day. It’s not an exaggeration for me to say that my absolute worst day here is still 100% better than my best day at my previous job. Plus the increase in salary is certainly nothing to sneeze at!

Jonas (my brother-in-law) and Shaina got married this year. It was a long time in coming, but the wedding was absolutely gorgeous and so much fun! They got married at Busch Farms (my parents’ place) last fall. It was an outdoor wedding and the weather was amazing. The leaves were at the height of their color and the whole place looked amazing. There were flowers and lights everywhere, the bride was gorgeous (of course!), the cake was delicious, the toasts were touching and funny, and the drinks were flowing! It was a welcome bright spot in the year and something I’d really looked forward to all year. I think everyone had a wonderful time. I’ll post some pictures from the wedding as soon as I get some…

And then, as I mentioned in my last post – we ended the year on a very bright note with a wonderful holiday season. We had two great Channukah celebrations and a lavish Christmas as well. In spite of the rough year we had, we know we are very blessed with the friends and family that love and support us and are very grateful for all that we have.

This year is looking bright and there is a lot to for us to be optimistic about. We are slowly but surely making progress on the house and by the time we sell it I may even like it! Azar Automotive will undoubtedly continue to grow and succeed. Mom is having knee replacement surgery soon – which means after her recovery, she’s going to feel better and fitter than she’s felt in years. There will be some fun vacations in there, even if I have to kidnap my husband and force him to go!
Happy New Year to everyone – it’s going to be wonderful 2007!


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