Well Harry, it has been quite some time since I last wrote. Life has intervened and I am in awe of those who post every week or even every day. I would give much to be able to keep that pace, but alas, I have let two months go. I have thought over the time in between posts that I really should jot that down if for no other reason than it was an event I don't want to let slip away. For example, fall in East Texas is short, but very beautiful. We live here among the pines that stay green year round, but we also have oak, maple and sycamores. They turn such beautiful shades of gold, red, yellow and orange that they take my breath away. Only now do the trees look barren having finally given up the last of their leaves. Our roads are still covered like a patchwork quilt and my daughter and I giggled as we drove because they danced in our wake like a comet's tail. I cried as my oldest was inducted into the National Honor Society as a junior and my 7th grader was inducted into the National Junior Art Honor Society. She even designed their t-shirt, yet something has always stopped me and I think it was just, for lack of a better word, that I am broken.
I wrote last time of a life changing event. Like you, he came in to my life by chance and like you, I may never see him again, but my life will never be the same. I wrote of him 2 months ago. When I wrote of him, he had not been with me for a month and by the time he left, he had not been with me 3 months in total. I know the cliche about how our lives are changed in a moment, but those moments are usually some cataclysmic event that is unexpected and uncontrollable. There is no time to question one's actions or time to ponder the hurt of the outcome. There is only time to react and pray. For me, that was not the case, or at least for now. I had time to picture my life without him. I had to make a choice. It was my choice alone to make. No one held a gun to my head, no bomb was going to kill millions if I chose poorly and there was no press in the aftermath, but it was a choice that altered the path of my life and my children's lives.
The choice was simple, fight to keep him at the expense of my other four children or let him go. I let him go. I had two weeks after the decision to live with the knowledge of my choice as I kissed him at bedtime and drove him to school in the morning. I had two weeks to try to reconcile with myself how it was for the best. He was only to be with me temporarily anyway so why prolong the inevitable. I rationalized as I slowly pulled away, hugged him less then hugged him more as I battled with my choice, made sure when he called me mom that I corrected him and explained again who his mom was.
He left on a Monday morning, so on Saturday night, I gave him a special light that would call Santa to our house early since he would not be here for Christmas. He slept in his little bed snuggled in his SpongeBob blanket holding that lantern. In the morning, he awoke to his Christmas wish, a bright red Cars bicycle just for him. It was a rare, severely cold and rainy day in Texas so he couldn't take it outside, but that did not stop him from riding it around the house nor me from forgiving the rules for a day. That Monday morning was just as cold and rainy as I put my four children on the bus and gathered his stray items and packed his bag. He knew he was leaving and where he was going, but that did not make it any easier on him or me. I did not have the courage to be there when he left. I could not put him in the car that would take him away. I will have to live with that cowardice for my lifetime and hope that he will be able to forgive me. "Don't leave me," he said as I grabbed my laptop bag and keys. I smiled as big as I could and said, "I'm not leaving you, you're leaving me." I gave him one last hug and ran to the car and cried and cried.
I have now had a week without him. It was a crazy week filled with basketball games and band concerts, dance recitals and after school tutorials. The universe was kind and I had not a moment to spare to think on his absence or maybe I filled my week completely taking on extra to make sure I did not have a moment to spare and like some unspoken rule, his name never passed our lips, his absence would go unheralded. There were great joys and laughter this week as my oldest made first chair, my middle daughter dazzled in her dance production and my freshmen boys won their basketball game.
This weekend though it was as if time has stood still. I could not think of enough to do. I have papers to grade and laundry and a kitchen to clean but my youngest son put it best, I think, when he described to me what type of broke I am. He said, "Mom, there a 3 kinds of broke. There is the one where something stops working, the one where you don't have any money and then there's the one where you are sad. That's what kind of broke you are Mom, so I am going to be good until I fix you." I hugged him close and said, "Thank you." Of course this was followed by a war whoop as he attacked his brother, but it's the thought that counts.
I have made my choice and as I have had more time with my children and have almost caught up on work that was put off I again rationalize that is was for the best. Life is all about choices, some easy, some hard, but this choice was the hardest I have ever had to make. Family and colleagues have been supportive and I love them dearly for it. I know that this diatribe may seem self serving and for that I apologize, but the healing process must begin. I cannot continue to pretend he isn't gone or even worse, pretend he was never here. He was here, his little bed still there as a reminder. Where he has gone, I have no way of contacting him, no way of knowing how he fares. All I can do is hope that his time with us was a happy one and pray that he is loved there as he was loved here.
I know what must be done. I must move forward. As Dori would say, "Just keep swimming." I have so many blessings in my life. I have four healthy, beautiful, totally unbelievable children whom I love very much and they me. I have a family that most would envy. I have a job that I love and that reminds me daily why my blessings are the blessings that they are. I suppose I will go back and read my previous posts to remind me that I have such joy in my life. As time goes by I will remember the joy that he brought to my life and the hurt will lessen. For now, I remain a little broken but know that in the repair process I will become better, stronger and forever changed. Thank you little man for sharing yourself with me for that short time. Forgive me for not being able to keep you longer. Be happy little man and though we may never cross paths again, may you be strong, wise and know that you are forever loved. May that knowledge guide you through your first heartache, your first failure and all the days of your life. Stand tall, stand proud and never stop loving through it all, for you are mighty!
To Harry from New Jersey with love and under repairs from East Texas
P.S. It's a little late, but Congrats, Harry, on the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series!!
I wish I had taken a picture of you so that I could remember your face better and so that I had something to show when I spoke of you. I truly enjoyed our chats those summer evenings, both of us exhausted from the days travels, yet both not quite willing to give up the day.
Who would have thought that we would have began a conversation based on the fact that two others outside were having a very loud conversation. Ours began as kind of a would you listen to them shrug and then evolved into a so where are you from and then somewhere along the way became a philosophical discussion on how you can’t choose your family. Long after the two tipsy gentlemen went in for the night, we sat still.
That first night outside the Holiday Inn Laurel West not far from our nation’s capitol, we smoked a few, we laughed, there were some tears on my part and we simply communicated. I learned that Harry is an ex-marine, although I hear that’s not an entirely true statement as apparently there is no such thing as an ex marine, from New Jersey. He served his time in the core in the recon company and that’s how he cleaned up his life. He really did go into the service on a jail or marines tour sometime in the 70s. A program our military he says, “Thankfully.” doesn’t employ anymore. I laughed at the irony of his statement and so did he.
Harry now works for a chiller management company. He is a project manager, which means he’s the boss and makes sure everything gets installed properly from the boilers to the thermostats in major office building and hospitals. I laughed and said, “So its your fault I’m either too hot or too cold.” He just shrugged and said, “Yep.” He is attending a training in D.C. on more efficient chillers and how to program them.
He made me think of all those people that say, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe you can’t, but Harry was learning them. He is also several weeks into the P90X program and could probably outrun me with out even trying. I am in awe and realize that reinventing oneself is a matter of commitment. Harry didn’t want to keep taking the pills the doctor prescribed for diabetes, so he picked a serious work out regiment, and has been able to reduce his dosages significantly.
I simply listened to Harry talk about his parents and their passing. His brother who didn’t attend the funeral. His great stories about the government blowing up the desert in the 70s where he was stationed. I learned that the base he was at, is the only marine base where they do not require you to shine your boots, because the temperature is so high, that it melts the wax used to shine them right off. I learned that the great state of Texas for the most part is loved. I am not sure why they love us, but Harry was glad that his next training was in Houston. He simply grinned at me when he mentioned it like a kid who had a secret.
On the second night I stepped outside after a grueling day, Harry was there. He was watching the end of the Red Sox game on his phone. They won! I forgot to ask him why a man from Jersey was a Red Sox fan. The second night we were quieter. Simply two people enjoying the quiet of the moment. I found the courage to ask him why Jersey is called the garden state and learned that New Jersey has more horse farms than Kentucky and is a large exporter of tomatoes, who knew? I listened as he told me about his crazy psychiatrist friend which I found quite hilarious. The psychiatrist who called Harry when they had problems, but the more I thought about it, the more normal it seemed. Everybody needs somebody they can call, even psychiatrists.
He made me blush when he talked about how teachers are called to their profession like priests or soldiers. We both teared as I recalled the days journey into Arlington National Cemetary. I told him about the parade and birthday celebration we attended for the Army’s 238th birthday and he told me about how he was having trouble on the simulator for the new program he was writing for an advanced chiller system. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I smiled and nodded like I do when my dad talks about programming his CNC machine.
As we put out our upteenth cigarette, we looked at each other and said our good nights. I extended my hand and said, “Nice to meet you, I’m Rachel.” He said,”Harry”. I traveled to the 2nd floor, he on to the 6th. I did not see Harry the next morning and we did not return to the hotel that night, but all the way home on the plane and now as I write, I regret not getting Harry’s last name or at least an e-mail address. I tried google, but I can’t remember the name of the company he works for and well there are a lot of Harrys in New Jersey.
I guess I just want to be like his psychiatrist friend, something in the way his voice was so calm even when he was commenting on the anatomy of a ref during the Red Sox game. He was just Harry form New Jersey with that great accent and all. Thank you Harry for allowing me to cry a bit on a stranger’s shoulder when the events of the day had become a little trying. I am sorry I didn’t get to ask you what your tattoos meant or wish you good luck on your next project.
I went to our nation’s capitol as most do, a pilgrimage of sorts to find our roots, to maybe touch a piece of history and maybe find some connection in this great melting pot of America. I did touch a piece of history. I stood in the same room as our constitution. I stood in the same house where George Washington died and I fell silent at the wall, but I think I found a treasure meeting Harry. I was able to share my journey with him and he a bit with me. We were simply two people at the same place and time. Two people who started a conversation and found some common ground. That we did it in the shadow of our forefathers is not a coincidence. I believe that it was an affirmation of what our forefathers set out to create. We may all have different backgrounds, different beliefs, but if we just communicate with one another, look what we can accomplish.
So where ever you are out there, Harry from New Jersey, good night and safe travels from East Texas.
Who would have thought that we would have began a conversation based on the fact that two others outside were having a very loud conversation. Ours began as kind of a would you listen to them shrug and then evolved into a so where are you from and then somewhere along the way became a philosophical discussion on how you can’t choose your family. Long after the two tipsy gentlemen went in for the night, we sat still.
That first night outside the Holiday Inn Laurel West not far from our nation’s capitol, we smoked a few, we laughed, there were some tears on my part and we simply communicated. I learned that Harry is an ex-marine, although I hear that’s not an entirely true statement as apparently there is no such thing as an ex marine, from New Jersey. He served his time in the core in the recon company and that’s how he cleaned up his life. He really did go into the service on a jail or marines tour sometime in the 70s. A program our military he says, “Thankfully.” doesn’t employ anymore. I laughed at the irony of his statement and so did he.
Harry now works for a chiller management company. He is a project manager, which means he’s the boss and makes sure everything gets installed properly from the boilers to the thermostats in major office building and hospitals. I laughed and said, “So its your fault I’m either too hot or too cold.” He just shrugged and said, “Yep.” He is attending a training in D.C. on more efficient chillers and how to program them.
He made me think of all those people that say, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Maybe you can’t, but Harry was learning them. He is also several weeks into the P90X program and could probably outrun me with out even trying. I am in awe and realize that reinventing oneself is a matter of commitment. Harry didn’t want to keep taking the pills the doctor prescribed for diabetes, so he picked a serious work out regiment, and has been able to reduce his dosages significantly.
I simply listened to Harry talk about his parents and their passing. His brother who didn’t attend the funeral. His great stories about the government blowing up the desert in the 70s where he was stationed. I learned that the base he was at, is the only marine base where they do not require you to shine your boots, because the temperature is so high, that it melts the wax used to shine them right off. I learned that the great state of Texas for the most part is loved. I am not sure why they love us, but Harry was glad that his next training was in Houston. He simply grinned at me when he mentioned it like a kid who had a secret.
On the second night I stepped outside after a grueling day, Harry was there. He was watching the end of the Red Sox game on his phone. They won! I forgot to ask him why a man from Jersey was a Red Sox fan. The second night we were quieter. Simply two people enjoying the quiet of the moment. I found the courage to ask him why Jersey is called the garden state and learned that New Jersey has more horse farms than Kentucky and is a large exporter of tomatoes, who knew? I listened as he told me about his crazy psychiatrist friend which I found quite hilarious. The psychiatrist who called Harry when they had problems, but the more I thought about it, the more normal it seemed. Everybody needs somebody they can call, even psychiatrists.
He made me blush when he talked about how teachers are called to their profession like priests or soldiers. We both teared as I recalled the days journey into Arlington National Cemetary. I told him about the parade and birthday celebration we attended for the Army’s 238th birthday and he told me about how he was having trouble on the simulator for the new program he was writing for an advanced chiller system. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I smiled and nodded like I do when my dad talks about programming his CNC machine.
As we put out our upteenth cigarette, we looked at each other and said our good nights. I extended my hand and said, “Nice to meet you, I’m Rachel.” He said,”Harry”. I traveled to the 2nd floor, he on to the 6th. I did not see Harry the next morning and we did not return to the hotel that night, but all the way home on the plane and now as I write, I regret not getting Harry’s last name or at least an e-mail address. I tried google, but I can’t remember the name of the company he works for and well there are a lot of Harrys in New Jersey.
I guess I just want to be like his psychiatrist friend, something in the way his voice was so calm even when he was commenting on the anatomy of a ref during the Red Sox game. He was just Harry form New Jersey with that great accent and all. Thank you Harry for allowing me to cry a bit on a stranger’s shoulder when the events of the day had become a little trying. I am sorry I didn’t get to ask you what your tattoos meant or wish you good luck on your next project.
I went to our nation’s capitol as most do, a pilgrimage of sorts to find our roots, to maybe touch a piece of history and maybe find some connection in this great melting pot of America. I did touch a piece of history. I stood in the same room as our constitution. I stood in the same house where George Washington died and I fell silent at the wall, but I think I found a treasure meeting Harry. I was able to share my journey with him and he a bit with me. We were simply two people at the same place and time. Two people who started a conversation and found some common ground. That we did it in the shadow of our forefathers is not a coincidence. I believe that it was an affirmation of what our forefathers set out to create. We may all have different backgrounds, different beliefs, but if we just communicate with one another, look what we can accomplish.
So where ever you are out there, Harry from New Jersey, good night and safe travels from East Texas.